Secret Guardian
by Talye Kendrin
Summary: After her "brother" Aine fell into a coma, Shinako made a promise to look after his doppelganger. Her entire life became about supporting Ai Mikaze in his quest to be an idol. When she requests of Saotome to be made Quartet Night's sole composer, however, her life becomes vastly more interesting. Starts pre-season 1 of the anime. Eventual Ai/OC
1. prologue

**Secret Guardian**

 **-prologue-**

* * *

"Boss! Please allow me to become Quartet Night's sole composer!"

I could feel Shining Saotome's surprised gaze on me despite the fact that I was bowed so deeply at the waist that I could only stare at the floor. My hands clenched into fists at my sides as I trembled slightly from the fear of inevitable rejection. This wasn't the first time I had asked to work with the one person I took it upon myself to care for as a parent or older sibling might, but it was the first time I had asked to include others in my request.

Saotome burst out into loud, boisterous laughter, and I dared to peek up between my dual-colored bangs to see him spinning in his office chair with a cheesy grin on his face. He stopped suddenly, slamming his hands down on his desk, and I jumped back at the loud noise, straightening from my bow.

"MISS SHINAKO!" he yelled, pointing a finger in my face.

 _Rude._ If this guy weren't my boss, I swear...

"You are a brrrriiiiight composer, Miss Shinako. Therefore, I will accept your request!"

I have a feeling that isn't the end of it, though. This is Shining Saotome we're talking about, after all...

"BUT!"

Ah. Here we go.

"First, you must meet my challenge... You must convince Quartet Night to accept you as their composer by your own power!"

"EH!?"

Crap on a cracker! You mean I have to actually be likable!? I don't relate well to people! Saotome knows that!

"Boss..." I said, feeling a dark aura emanate from me at the fact that he had challenged me to such a thing. I could foresee this going very poorly, but...

I made a promise. A promise that I intend to keep. My aura went from dark to downright gloomy at the realization that there was no choice but to face this challenge head-on.

"...I accept."


	2. PART I: one

**A/N:** Hold onto your hats, readers! We're blasting off to the past for a few chapters before we get to Quartet Night! I'm gonna tell you now, this fic will be fairly Ai-centric.

Also note, I haven't played the games (sadface), so all info comes from the anime and wikia. I don't know if the professor that built Ai actually has a name in the series (wikia lists none), so I made up a name for him.

Now, I'm only going to do this once, so listen up, folks:

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN UTA NO PRINCE-SAMA OR ITS AFFILIATED CHARACTERS, PLOTS, ETC. THIS STORY IS FOR FUN AND NOT FOR PROFIT. -breathes deeply- Thank you, carry on.

* * *

 **Secret Guardian**

 **PART ONE**

 **-chapter one-**

* * *

"Ai-nii! Wait up!"

The cyan-haired teenager laughed as I ran, stumbling, trying to catch up to his long strides. He had just started going to Saotome Gakuen a few months ago, so it had become rare for me to see him. Aine Kisaragi, the boy who was like the older brother I never had, was studying to be an idol. Of course my "brother" was at the top of his class, studying hard. He poured his heart and soul into his music, and in turn, his studies. Ai-nii was the coolest.

"Careful, there, short stuff! Don't trip over your big feet!" Ai-nii teased as I finally caught up to him, almost tripping in my effort. I grabbed onto his arm, and he grabbed my shoulder to steady me before ruffling my hair with a grin. I squeaked at the offense, trying to swat his hand away from my hair. I was so proud of my nice, neat hair that it infuriated me when he got it all messy like that; which, of course, was always, with Ai-nii. He could be annoying sometimes. He said it was his job as my older brother of sorts to bug me, though. I told him that was a steaming load of crap, and he acted all offended at "the foul mouth I have for being such a cute nine-year-old kid". (His words, not mine. I'm not that full of myself.)

"Aine! Shinako! Come have some biscuits," our professor uncle said. Well, I say "our", but technically I'm not related to him, either. I call him Uncle Jirou, though, because he's been like an uncle to me ever since I was just a baby. He and my dad have been best friends since they were in college. Now my dad is a local elementary school teacher, and Uncle Jirou is a professor at the nearby university. As such, they still see each other quite a lot, and dad would usually bring me with him when he went to visit Uncle Jirou on the weekends since mom, being a nurse, usually worked weekends and couldn't look after me while he went to visit his friend. That was how I initially met Ai-nii. It was when I was about four years old, and my dad and Uncle Jirou were meeting at his place to have coffee. Ai-nii had been sent to stay with Uncle Jirou for the weekend because both his parents had gone out of town, so the grown-ups had introduced us and told us to go play while they talked. Of course, Ai-nii being a bit of a bully, he pulled my pigtails. Instead of crying, though, I bit him. And Aine, instead of crying, laughed. (I could tell it actually hurt, but he didn't tell on me to the grown-ups, so I let him pretend.) Thus started a beautiful brother-sister relationship between us.

In other words, we bugged the hell out of each other, but we both knew that at the end of the day, we were one of each other's favorite people.

Smiling up at my "brother", I grabbed his hand in both of mine and began tugging him towards where Uncle Jirou had called us from. He yelped at the sudden tug, stumbling a bit before easily jogging after me, having to stoop over a little due to my height (or rather, lack thereof).

"Come on, Ai-nii! I claim one of the lemon biscuits!"

"Ah! No fair, I like those ones too!"

Yes, those were the days. The days when we were carefree, and I never expected anything wrong could ever happen in my life.

* * *

I could feel my hands shaking when my parents broke the news to me.

"Sweetheart... Aine's in a coma," dad said, his voice trembling. My calm, cool dad, who even in the most dire of situations reacted with a level head. The tremor in his voice scared me almost as much as the words he was saying did. "The doctors aren't sure if he'll ever wake up."

 _No,_ I wanted to say; no, scream. _No, you're wrong. You're lying. Ai-nii wouldn't leave me._

I was only twelve years old, but I knew what it meant to be in a coma. My mom was a nurse, she told me all about those kinds of things. She liked to use them as cautionary tales to make sure I stayed out of trouble. There was no way that my Ai-nii could be just another cautionary tale mom would tell me while we were having tea together during one of her days off. Ai-nii was indestructible. Ai-nii was amazing.

I couldn't say any of that, though. I tried to speak, but it was like my throat closed around the words. It felt like I couldn't breathe. Were the walls closing in on me? It sure seemed like it. My sense of time seemed to distort as I collapsed to the floor. I vaguely heard my mom saying something about "panic attack" and "paper bag". The next thing I knew, my mom was rubbing soothing circles on my back as my dad held a paper bag to my face, my mom coaching me on how to breathe.

"Deep breath in, and exhale slowly...deep breath in, exhale slowly..."

"Everything's going to be alright, sweetheart. You're okay. We're all okay. Aine's just sleeping, I'm sure he'll wake up soon enough. He's got the best doctors looking after him right now..."

 _No, you're wrong._

 _You're lying._

* * *

It had been a week since Ai-nii had fallen into his coma. I refused to go to the hospital to see him. I couldn't bear to see him just yet. I was still waking up in the middle of the night with panic attacks. I kept a paper bag on my nightstand because they came so regularly. My mom had told me about why he was in a coma to begin with. My dad had tried to keep her from telling me, thinking it would be too much, but my mom, ever the blunt person she was, had told me anyways. She said that I deserved to know that he had tried to commit suicide. He had tried to drown himself in the ocean. I couldn't believe that the Ai-nii I had seen only a few months prior during winter break had tried to drown himself. Looking back, I noticed the small little things that should have told me that something wasn't entirely right about him, but as they say, hindsight is perfect. There was nothing I could do about it at that point, but that didn't stop the nightmares I had about Ai-nii drifting underwater as I tried to swim out to save him. I never could, and I always woke up in a panic, unable to breathe.

My father had put his foot down and said I should stay with Uncle Jirou for a few days just to get me out of the house. I hadn't even been going to school, I could barely bring myself to crawl out of bed long enough to eat something. I think my dad was scared that maybe I would do the same thing Ai-nii had and try to hurt myself because of how depressed and anxious I was all the time. I would never do that, but that didn't stop him from worrying. Thus, I ended up standing on Uncle Jirou's doorstep with a duffel bag in one hand and my guitar case in the other.

"Ah! Shinako!" Uncle Jirou said, poking his head out the door before I could set down my bag to knock. He seemed to be trying to be upbeat, but I could hear the strain in his voice and see the dark circles under his eyes. It looked like he hadn't slept since Ai-nii had gone into a coma. I gave him a tired smile, but it didn't last long before it disappeared. Uncle Jirou had been close to Ai-nii like I had. Unlike my parents, he was going through the exact same thing I was right now.

"Come in, come in," Uncle Jirou said, ushering me inside. "You can put your things in the guest room. I'll get us some biscuits..." he trailed off, and I knew he was thinking about Ai-nii, because I was, too. The silence stretched, suffocating and thick.

"Not the lemon ones," I said quietly.

Uncle Jirou nodded in understanding as a silent agreement passed between us.

We couldn't enjoy the things he had without him. It just wouldn't be right.

The hole in our hearts gaped open. How long would it take such a large wound to scab over? I wonder...


	3. two

**Secret Guardian**

 **-chapter two-**

* * *

I sat on the hardwood floor in front of the mirror in Uncle Jirou's house. He had been squirreled away in his office at the university the majority of the past week I had been staying with him, only briefly coming home for supper a couple of nights. After that first afternoon when we had just sat together in silence at the kitchen table, our tea going cold and our biscuits left untouched, we had been more like two acquaintances rather than the precious uncle-niece relationship we usually held. It was painful being in each other's company; even though it was soothing to know we were both going through the same thing, it hurt more knowing that our connection was the same one that connected us to Ai-nii.

I stared at myself in the mirror. In particular, I was staring at my perfectly neat, mid-back length black hair. It had been my pride and joy for the past few years. I had been growing it out since my mom cut it stupidly short when I was seven years old, so it was five years-almost six years, now-worth of hair growth. None of that was what went through my mind as I stared at the smooth black locks, though. Instead, I was thinking of large hands messing up my hair and a stupid, cheesy grin as I complained. My already red eyes grew wet with tears, and my image in the mirror became blurry. I sniffed, wiping my nose on one of the pile of tissues next to me. I was a wreck. Two weeks since Ai-nii had slipped into a coma. Still no sign of him ever waking up. Still no optimism from the doctors caring for him. His fame was slipping in his absence. His fans were wondering, where did Aine Kisaragi go? All his hard work, going to waste... My Ai-nii, turned into some twisted sleeping beauty, except he couldn't be woken up by something so simple as true love's kiss...

Grabbing a pillow from the bed behind me, I screamed loudly into it over and over, until my screams eventually turned to sobs and my shoulders shook in anger and grief. With a shriek of rage at the pathetic mess I had turned into, I threw the pillow away from me. It hit the wall with an anticlimactic puff of air and dropped to the floor. Glaring at my reflection, I pushed myself off the floor and rummaged in my belongings until I found a pair of scissors. I stared at the hazel-eyed girl in the mirror, face swollen and blotchy from crying, before I grabbed a fistful of my sleek black hair and hacked it away until it was not quite shoulder-length. I did my best to layer it in a familiar fashion, sweeping my bangs to the side and layering them just enough that they wouldn't cover my right eye. Shakily, I set down the scissors and stared at my reflection appraisingly.

I looked like a messy, black-haired female version of Ai-nii.

It hurt...but not as much as it had before. The knife in my heart had stopped turning, for now.

* * *

I stayed at Uncle Jirou's for one more week, another lonesome week where he spent more time at his office than he did at home, doing my schoolwork from the comfort of his home, as my parents had patiently bargained with the principal in order to allow me to adjust to my "new life situation", as they so delicately put it. I was doing my homework at the kitchen table on day fourteen of my stay there, when I heard the front door open and shut. Uncle Jirou must be home for dinner, I thought, looking at the clock. I was surprised that it was only 4:10pm. Usually he wouldn't be back until at least 7:00pm to have dinner, if he showed up at all.

I had a gut feeling something was different.

I carefully shut my textbook, marking the page with a scrap of paper so I would remember where I left off later. As I placed my notebooks to the side, Uncle Jirou walked into the kitchen with a strange expression on his face. It looked like he was torn somewhere between crying and laughing. I stood up to greet him, but before I could, he swept across the room and gathered me up in a bone-crushing hug.

"I did it!" he shouted. He sounded relieved. "I did it, Shinako!" He picked me up and twirled me around as if I weighed nothing. He hadn't done that since I was six and asked him to stop. It made me dizzy.

"Wha...what did you do, Uncle Jirou?" I asked, trying to get my bearings as I gripped the kitchen counter so I wouldn't fall over.

"I think I found the key to helping Aine wake up."

I froze, staring at him. I could feel my heart break a little more at his words.

"That's a really mean joke to play on me, Uncle."

The professor looked hurt at my words.

"Shinako, you should know I would never say something that mean to you. I really mean it," he said. He chewed on his bottom lip for a moment, as if contemplating something, before he grabbed my wrist and led me out the door. I only stalled long enough to put my shoes on. "Come with me, I'll show you what I mean."

We drove in silence to his workplace. He seemed nervous and excited about whatever breakthrough he'd made, and I was reluctant to believe anything without seeing it for myself. I didn't want to get hurt again by being let down. The wound of Ai-nii's disappearance was still too fresh; I couldn't bear reopening what little healing had been done.

The professor led me to his office, and I was taken aback by all of the wires and mechanisms he had strewn all over the place. I then noticed a futon behind his desk, with a small form lying on it, covered by blankets. I turned to look at Uncle Jirou, unsure. He nodded at me to go ahead. Hesitantly, I walked over to the form on the futon, kneeling down next to it. I was about to place my hand on the person's shoulder when I saw their hair peeking out from beneath the covers. Cyan hair. I froze.

There was a rustling noise as they turned towards me. The covers drew back as the little boy, who appeared to be about eight or nine years old, stared up at me with familiar eyes. They didn't speak, just staring at me blankly.

"A...Ai-nii...?" I asked in a whisper, shocked.

It was too good to be true, though. There was no recognition in the child's eyes, nor any emotion as he blinked up at me.

"Why do you call me that? We've never met, plus I'm younger than you, if my data is correct."

My eyes grew hot with tears, and I stood up, whirling on the professor.

"What is the meaning of this!?" I demanded. "Why does he look like Ai-nii?"

The professor tried to placate me, putting an arm around my shoulders and shushing me. My shoulders shook with anger, but I didn't push him away. I wanted an explanation... _needed_ an explanation.

"This boy is Ai Mikaze," he said. "Ai, as in A.I., Artificial Intelligence."

My eyes snapped up to his face.

"You mean..."

"Yes," he said, looking at Ai, who was staring up at us with that blank look on his face still. "Ai is an android. I made him." He fixed me with a serious look. "Ai is connected to Aine. If Ai becomes an idol, I think his experiences will help Aine wake up."

I blinked back the tears. It was almost like Ai was going to replace all that Aine was. I didn't like the idea. But, if it was to help Aine wake up from his coma...

"Tell me what I can do to help," I said quietly, staring at the familiar face of my older brother figure on the body of a younger child. He held my gaze, seeming like he was analyzing me with his stare. Given the new information about him, he probably was.

Uncle Jirou turned me so I was looking at him, placing his hands on my shoulders. He gave me a serious look.

"Shinako," he said, "I want you to look after Ai. I can't always be there for him, especially when he goes to become an idol. I want you to watch over him for me when that time comes."

I bit the inside of my cheek as I mulled over his words. This was a big responsibility to be putting on my twelve-year-old shoulders. Unconsciously, I reached up, ruffling my already-messy hair. The action helped me focus, helped me realize how important a task this was. I knew that I had my answer already.

"I will. I promise."

Turning to Ai, with his blank, emotionless eyes, I knelt down on the floor in front of him, grabbing his hand in mine.

"Ai-n... Ai-kun," I corrected myself, resisting the urge to call him by Aine's nickname. It just wouldn't feel right. "You can call me Shinako-nee. From now on, I'll be watching over you." I tried to smile, but it came out a little lopsided. My heart just wasn't in it.

Ai stared at me for a while, and I was beginning to think he wouldn't respond, until I started to draw my hands back and he grabbed them, stopping me.

"Shinako-nee," he said finally in his monotone voice. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Please take care of me."

It hurt, hearing Ai-nii's voice and seeing his face on this robotic stranger. It hurt. But I would put up with it.

For Aine.


	4. three

**Secret Guardian**

 **-chapter three-**

* * *

After I made my promise to the professor, I poured myself into my music studies. I had already been studying guitar and voice since I was five years old, but I needed more than that in order to be able to watch over Ai. I began to study a number of different instruments-piano, violin, flute, and clarinet, to name just a few-but no matter how many I learned, I knew that I would eventually be outdone.

Ai was progressing at an alarmingly fast rate. His instructors called him a prodigy; a genius. No one other than the professor and I knew that he was a robot, which was why he learned things after only being shown them once. He went from an absolute novice to having a college level of music theory and composition knowledge in a matter of months. His playing was flawless on his chosen instruments, though he seemed to favor the synthesizer rather than the more traditional instruments that I studied. The only thing he seemed to lack was the ability to write songs.

I had moved back home after meeting Ai, but I seemed to be spending more time with him at Uncle Jirou's house than ever. We were sitting on the bed in his room-which used to be the guest room-and I was messing around with my guitar, a pencil clenched between my teeth as I considered the next few notes for the composition I was working on. I was determined to get into Saotome Gakuen, like Aine had before, and I only had a little over a year to polish my composition skills. I needed all the practice I could get. I picked a couple of the strings at the same time, feeling the notes resonate within me. I spat the pencil out into my hand, smiling as I scribbled them down on the music ledger sheet next to me.

"Shinako-nee," Ai said from his seat on the floor. I had stolen his bed to sit on, as per usual, but he never complained. He was a surprisingly tolerant little brat.

"Hmm? What is it, Ai-kun?" I said distractedly as I scanned back over the few lines that I had so far. Maybe I should some flute over top?

"How do you know if your composition is...correct?" he asked.

I looked up at him. He wasn't looking at me; he was picking at a loose thread on the throw rug he was sitting on. He seemed a little lost from his expression. Either I was getting better at reading him, or he was getting better at showing emotions. I couldn't decide which was the case...probably the former. I had known the brat for almost a year, at that point.

"Well...to start off with, I don't think that's exactly the best way to think about music," I said thoughtfully. "I don't think music can ever truly be 'correct'...it can only be 'expressive'. Do you know what I mean?"

Ai looked up at me and shook his head.

I sighed. Typical.

"Let's put it this way: music isn't like math. There isn't always a right note to put in a certain place. It's an infinite number of possibilities every time you play or sing. The only deciding factor, I think, is the question: what are you trying to express?" I smiled at him. "Take this piece I'm working on, for instance. I'm trying to portray a sense of contentment. So, the tempo is kind of slow, and the instrumentation is fairly simple." I played the first bit for him, and I could feel him staring intently at my fingers. His computer brain was probably memorizing the notes so he could play it back if need be. I envied his ability to memorize things like that. I didn't envy his struggle with composition, though. It was all because of his lack of emotions... I couldn't imagine what it would be like not to have them. The only thing that might be good about it would be getting rid of the dull ache in my chest that I still get whenever I see his face.

 _Ai-nii..._

I realized I'd stopped playing.

"The music seems happy, like you said," Ai noted, and I lifted my eyes to look at him. He was staring at me with a look of mild confusion. "You don't seem happy, though. Happy people don't cry, do they?"

My eyes widened, and I reached up a hand to dab at one of them. Sure enough, when I drew my hand back, it was wet with tears. I gave a shaky laugh.

"Yeah, I guess you're right, Ai-kun. Sorry. I just started thinking about something sad all of a sudden..." I placed my guitar away in its case. I wasn't going to be able to write a happy song while I was feeling like this.

A tissue appeared in front of me. Ai was looking away, his other hand fidgeting as though he was uncomfortable.

"Here. Take it," he muttered.

With a watery laugh, I did, wiping my eyes before tucking it away in my pants pocket in case I needed it again later.

"You're such an uncute brat," I said, standing up and wrapping him in a hug. He gave a noise of protest, but I ignored it. "You should be more respectful of your seniors, you know that?"

"You hardly act like you're older than me, granny."

"AH! I'll have you know that knitting is all the rage with young people these days!"

Ai was silent for a moment, and I let him go, noting that though he hadn't returned the hug, he had placed a tentative hand on my back. He was making progress, at least. I made sure to dote on him as much as possible, even though it hurt sometimes. I was getting used to the ache that interacting with him caused in my chest. At least he had changed his hairstyle so that I could better differentiate between him and Aine in my mind.

"Shinako-nee," he said quietly. I tilted my head at him.

"Hmm? What is it, Ai-kun?"

He almost looked like he was blushing from this angle. Nah, that couldn't be. He was an uncute little brat that was totally out of touch with human emotions. There was no way.

"Next time, could I compose with you?"

My eyebrows rose in surprise before I grinned at him, reaching over to ruffle his hair. He squawked in protest, trying to slap my hand away. The familiar action, despite the role reversal, made my heart hurt. It felt like I was replacing Ai-nii with his younger look-alike. I hated it. I let my hand drop, but kept my grin up.

"Of course, Ai-kun. Anything for you."


	5. four

**Secret Guardian**

 **-chapter four-**

* * *

Another year passed in a blur. Ai was getting better with his music every day. I struggled to keep up with him. The only thing that I could do better than him was conveying my emotions through song, but that was understandable, given what Ai was. He was still so stoic that it was hard to tell what he was thinking most of the time. What an uncute brat. At least when he surpassed my abilities when it came to playing instruments, he would offer to help me if I was struggling with something. I didn't like relying on him, though. I should be able to do things by my own power. He seemed to accept that, and stopped offering, though he always helped me on the rare occasion I gave in and asked him for it. He was a bit of a slave-driver when it came to helping me improve, giving me gruelling tasks that made me question if he really understood that I was his senior and should be treated with respect as such, but it really did help in the end, so I let it slide.

Eventually, the day came when I was going to take the entrance exam for Saotome Gakuen. I was nervous, but I felt prepared. I had been writing compositions furiously for the past year, and although they didn't always come out with the standard of excellence I held myself to, I was proud of the ones that did, and the ones that didn't I just scrapped and rewrote again and again until they did, too. I loved music with a fierce passion, and I wanted to continue improving my abilities and my sound. I was so glad that I would be able to do something I loved while still keeping my promise to Uncle Jirou.

I stood at the gate waiting for the train to arrive that would take me to Saotome Gakuen. All my favorite compositions were tucked in my school bag, along with my test-taking materials: pens, pencils, erasers, blank music ledger sheets and scrap paper, just in case...

"SHINAKO!"

I looked left and right, trying to figure out where the call came from. When I looked behind me, I was almost bowled over by the professor as he scooped me up in a hug, twirling me around. I growled, grinding my teeth together in annoyance.

"Put me down, old man, before I bite your arm."

"Ah! How rude, Shinako!" the professor said, pouting, though he did put me down. "And after Ai and I came all the way here to see you off!"

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. Ai came out to see me off? Somehow I didn't think he would do something so...sappy. Peering around the professor, though, I saw it was true. Ai was standing behind him, gazing off at the train tracks with a calculating look.

"Oh? What's this?" I smirked at Ai, gaining his attention. "Did you come to wish me luck on the exam? How sweet!"

Ai gave me a blank look. "No, I didn't. Luck is a stupid concept."

My eye twitched.

"You..." I growled. "You uncute brat!"

I lunged at him, grabbing him in a hug as he squirmed uncomfortably. He settled quickly, though; quicker than usual. I smiled. Just the fact that he was here told me he was going to miss me. He would never do something so sappy as seeing me off otherwise.

"Don't worry, Ai-kun. I'll visit lots, so I won't forget you. I'm going to study hard, so you should too, okay?"

Ai hesitated, then did the unthinkable.

He hugged me back.

"I know, Shinako-nee. Do your best."

My chest hurt. But for once, it was a good kind of hurt.

It hurt because I cared about Ai, and I knew I was going to miss him.

* * *

The entrance exam came and went like a gentle breeze. I had no problem with the written portion, knowing my theory well from all the different coaches I'd had that had drilled it into my head over the years. The playing portion was a little more difficult, as I was a little nervous playing in front of the instructors who would have listened to a number of prodigies throughout the years they'd been teaching there, but once I took a deep breath and thought about my promise to the professor, I felt my determination rush in to replace my nervousness and I sat down with my guitar. The familiar feel of the strings beneath my fingertips soothed me, and the familiar rosewood brought a smile to my face as I let my fingers pluck and strum a melody that I'd been holding onto for quite some time. It was a song that made me think of my family, about the warmth of my mother's embrace and my father as he helped me with my homework. It also made me think of Ai-nii's hand ruffling my hair, and having tea with the professor...and there was something else...the memory of Ai hugging me and telling me to do my best. The melody was warm and soothing, but when I thought of Ai-nii and Ai, the song came to an end on an uncertain chord. I held it, drawing it out. The chord was a conclusion, but it was also a question. "I've come this far, but what comes next?"

Who knows?

Tsukimiya-sensei and Hyuga-sensei both smiled and thanked me. That was a good sign, at least. Of course, they couldn't give any indication of whether I'd passed or not, but their genuine smiles told me all I needed to know. I smiled back and bowed, thanking them for their time. I quickly packed away my guitar and headed out of the room so that the next person could go in. I grabbed my phone from my bag, where I had set it to silent, and turned the ringer back on. I was surprised to see I had a missed call from Uncle Jirou. I frowned. I had finished the last part of my exam, so it wasn't like I had anywhere I had to be right away, I thought as I set my guitar case down on the ground next to me and pressed the button to call him back. I held the phone to my ear, hearing it ring twice before the professor answered in a flustered tone.

"Ah! Shinako! Have you seen Ai!?"

My brow furrowed.

"Ai? No, I haven't seen him since this morning, at the train station..." I looked at the clock on the wall above the exam room doors. It read 2:35 in the afternoon. "Why? What's wrong? I thought he was supposed to be at home with his tutor this afternoon."

The professor made a noise of exasperation.

"That's what I thought, too! But then I find out that after I left for work, the tutor showed up and there was no one home!" He was all but yelling at this point.

"Ai is missing!"

Those three words sent an icy chill down my spine. After the closeness that I realized I'd had to Ai during my instrumental exam, I have to discover this? It was like Ai-nii all over again. I felt the phone slip from my hand, clattering to the ground hard enough to knock the cover off the back as the battery fell out, cutting off the power and whatever else Uncle Jirou might have said. I fell to my knees, my hands reaching up to mess up my hair. The usually soothing action gave me no relief. If anything, it just made me more anxious. I could feel a panic attack coming on, and I didn't even have a paper bag to breathe into. My breaths were coming in shorter gasps, and my lungs felt like they were on fire. In the distance, I could hear some of the other students saying to call a teacher. There were other voices, though, saying something about a kid stuck in an elevator. I felt two pairs of hands pull me up as my head grew light from lack of oxygen.

"My...g...gui...ta...r..." I tried to say as I hyperventilated.

The person on my right (a girl, from the sound of it) said, "Don't worry, one of the guys is bringing it and your phone. We have to get you to the nurse's office."

I must have blacked out at some point after that, because the next thing I knew, I was lying in a bed in the infirmary. I blinked up at the plain white ceiling before looking over to find a glass of water on the end table next to the bed. I sat up slowly and took small sips of the water, mindful not to overdo it. As I sipped the water, I remembered why I had ended up there in the first place and I could feel myself beginning to panic again. Just then, the curtain drew back and I saw the nurse come in.

"I'm glad you're awake, Mura-san," she said, calling me by my last name. It felt weird. I didn't usually let people call me by my last name. I preferred Shinako. "You have someone here to see you. It seems he came a long way just to do so!"

I looked at her, confused. Who would...?

Ai stepped out from behind her, giving me a cautious look.

"YOU!" I shouted, pointing a finger at him. He jumped a bit, but before he could do anything, I jumped off the bed and wrapped him in a hug.

"Do you realize how worried I was when Uncle Jirou phoned and told me you were missing!? You brat! I almost died!"

"Mura-san, I think that's overreacting a little..." the nurse chuckled nervously, but went ignored.

"You need to apologize this instant, you little punk!"

"I'm sorry, Shinako-nee."

I blinked. I hadn't actually been expecting him to apologize, at least not that quickly. I pulled back, holding him at arm's length and looking down at him. He was staring at the ground, almost as if he was ashamed of himself. I suddenly felt bad for yelling at him.

"I just wanted to bring you something, for..." his expression turned sour, as though he tasted something bad, "...'luck'."

The nurse smiled behind him and gave me a wave, seeing herself out now that she knew we weren't going to wreck the place. I appreciated it. I sighed, pulling Ai over to the bed and sitting him down next to me. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a thin silver chain, hanging on which was a small, cyan-colored music note charm. My heart clenched. Ai got that...for me? There was no way the little bugger didn't have emotions! I grinned, taking it from him and putting it on. I messed his hair, and he gave me a blank look.

"Please stop," he said. He didn't do anything to try and get me to quit, though. My grin widened.

"Nope! I'm gonna bug you mercilessly, seeing as you're such a sap."

"...What do you mean by 'sap'? I'm not a liquid you find inside a tree..."

"No, no! An emotional sap, like someone who's easily moved by sentiment."

"I'm an android, I can't possibly be a sap."

"Oh, Ai-kun, how wrong you are... Now, let's phone the professor, he certainly sounded worried when he phoned me to say you were missing..."


	6. five

**Secret Guardian**

 **-chapter five-**

* * *

 **A/N:** Yay! School time for Shinako! Starting now I'll introduce a couple HEAVENS characters. They haven't had much screen time, but I believe based on their STARISH counterparts, I should be able to characterize them pretty well. Let me know what you think!

Don't worry if you're fans of Ai; he will still appear quite a bit.

* * *

Ryuya Hyuga stood at the front of the class, his stance relaxed though his posture was still impeccable, and his hands stuffed in the pockets of his suit pants as he surveyed all of us new students in our desks. I was a little intimidated by his gaze, but I met it nonetheless. I swear he smirked a little when his eyes met mine. My eye twitched. He may be my teacher, but he can be a little arrogant, can't he? I frowned.

"Alright, listen up, you lot! You all may have made it into S Class, but that doesn't mean you can slack off now!"

He seemed to be eyeing a particular guy with a moody expression when he said that. Huh. I wonder if Hyuga-sensei knows him?

"Being in S Class means you were the best of the best in the entrance exams, so I won't expect any less than the very best from all of you for the rest of the school year. Anyone who fails to meet my standards will be demoted to A Class! Got it?"

There were a few startled murmurs, but Hyuga-sensei ignored them.

"Quiet! Now, first things first. I'm going to do role call now, so please raise your hand and say 'here' when you hear your name."

Everything was quiet for the most part as he called the names of the students, until he came to one name.

"Hyuga, Yamato."

Whispers broke out all through the room. I felt my eyebrows raise in surprise. I knew that Hyuga-sensei had a younger brother (don't judge me, I read magazine interviews, okay?), but I didn't realize that he was going to be going to Saotome Gakuen this year. Hyuga-sensei looked really annoyed at the loud whispers. He took his attendance book and slammed it on the desk, making the room go silent.

"Much better," he said, eyeing the class again. "Now, I'm going to answer your question that none of you were bold enough to ask me straight out. Yes, Yamato is my younger brother, and no, I will not give him any favors for being so. If anything, he will have to work twice as hard as the rest of you just to meet my standards. Now! If you're all quite done your whispering, we will continue with the role call."

No one made any comments after that. It didn't take long for Hyuga-sensei to finish the task. He then introduced us to some of the key parts of composing and idol work. A lot of people looked like they knew the basics already. At least I wasn't the only one that seemed to have over-prepared for the start of our classes. Better to be over-prepared than under-prepared, though. Seeing as I already knew about what Hyuga-sensei was talking about, I began to scribble some possible notes for my next composition. I hadn't expected to make it straight into S Class, but now that I had, I planned to be here to stay. That meant that I had to work even harder than I did before. I was okay with that, though, because just being in S Class filled me with determination and ignited my fighting spirit.

Yes! I can do this!

Hyuga-sensei clapped his hands together, catching my attention.

"Alright! Now, I'm going to give you all your first assignment. Each of you in the idol course will have to pair up with someone from the composition course to arrange a song by the end of this week. After today, you all will be expected to find your own partners, but for this assignment, I've taken the liberty of pairing each of you up with someone else."

There were a couple groans of disappointment as he wrote the pairs on the chalkboard, but most people, myself included, didn't really know their classmates enough to know if they'd got the short end of the straw yet or not. I gave a curious look at the names to try and find mine.

Ah, there it is. Shinako Mura, and...

Yamato Hyuga!?

Ah, crap.

I looked over to Yamato's desk halfway across the room and saw him looking blankly at the chalkboard.

Ah, right. He probably had no clue who I even was. I sighed, realizing I was going to be the one that had to move. I gathered my notebooks and walked over to his desk, setting my notebooks down on the empty one next to him. The person it belonged to had already vacated it to go sit with their partner. I cleared my throat, catching the younger Hyuga's attention. I felt a little nervous. He seemed kind of stand-offish, and I wasn't good with new people.

"Hyuga-san. It's nice to meet you," I said with a small bow before taking a seat. "My name is Mura, Shinako. You may call me Shinako, though."

Yamato fixed me with a calculating look.

"Oh? You mean you're the one my older brother was praising after the entrance exams?" He smirked. "Can't say I see how you're all that special, little Shinako."

My eye twitched. _Little!?_ That's it, I'm done trying to be polite.

"No honorific? How rude, Yamato- _chan_."

Ooohh, what a scary glare. Not. I matched his glare with one of my own. I could practically see the lightning flashing angrily behind us. Yamato scoffed, looking away first and glaring instead at the chalkboard. Hah! I win!

"Look, there's no way I'm gonna work with you, little girl, so why don't you just write the composition by yourself and stuff it in my locker or something when you're done? That way I don't have to deal with you any more than I have to."

I looked at him as though he had grown two heads. I mean, that was how weird that statement of his was to me. Did he really mean that?

"Um, thanks but no thanks," I said. He looked over at me, confused, so I clarified, "I'm not going to write a song for a total stranger. It'd just turn out bland and unfeeling, and I won't accept that."

Yamato just scoffed again, shaking his head.

"Whatever. Suit yourself."

* * *

I carefully moved the remaining peas on my plate into position. Just a little more... and... there!

"Look, Yama-chan! It's Piyo-chan...made of peas!"

Yamato glared at me from his unwilling seat next to me at the table.

"Do I look like I care?" he snapped. "And since when am I Yama-chan!?"

I shrugged.

"Well, since Yamato-chan is just so long, I figured I'd shorten it...and it's even cuter!" I pinched his cheek, grinning even when he slapped my hand away. He was just too much fun to bug. "Aww, Yama-chan, don't you just think it suits you so well?"

"NO! Stop bothering me!"

"Aww, but you said to do whatever I want, so..."

"I didn't mean follow me around like a stalker!"

I gasped, holding a hand over my heart.

"Ah, Yama-chan! How mean! Just because I happen to pop up everywhere you go except for the bathroom, that doesn't mean I'm stalking you..."

"Uh, yeah, it does!"

I shrugged.

"Well, I wouldn't follow you around like this if you would just agree to sit down with me to compose."

Yamato growled.

"The composition is the composer's job, not mine. I shouldn't have to help you do your damn work when I'll have my own to do once you're done."

I rolled my eyes.

"I don't need you to write the notes for me. Despite how poorly you seem to think of me, I'm not an idiot," I said seriously. "I just want you there so that I can make a sound that fits you. I can't do that without you, because I don't know you well enough to compose for you without your input."

Yamato was silent for a minute, poking at his rice before he huffed in annoyance.

"Fine. I'll sit with you while you write your damn composition."

I clapped my hands together with a grin.

"Great! It's a date, then!"

Yamato's face turned beet red at that and he started stuttering. Oh!? Seems like I found his cute side at last! I grinned wickedly, standing up on my chair and yelling to the entire cafeteria.

"YAMATO-CHAN IS BLUSHING!"

"I AM NOT! GET OFF OF THERE, YOU MESSY-HAIRED IDIOT!"

* * *

I sat at my desk in the room that I shared with a shy girl from A Class. She had already formed friends within her class, so we didn't talk much. She was usually out with them. I was okay with that. I was married to my music anyway, so it wasn't like I had much time to spare for friends outside of that. Yamato and I had started work on the composition, and I had put together a really cool guitar riff for him that he liked. I had been using my acoustic guitar, but I was thinking I'd switch it over to the electric guitar so that I could play with the sound some more.

I could do that later, though. I needed to purge some of my feelings first.

I had noticed while I was trying to compose for Yamato that some of my personal feelings were floating to the surface while I played. I couldn't have that when I was trying to portray someone else's character, so I decided to write.

First, I wrote a letter to Ai. After he had gone home with the professor after his little incident with getting stuck in the school elevator trying to come find me on my exam day (a fact that I still laughed about, but then felt bad because he had been trapped in there for a while before somebody realized and called the maintenance staff to help get him out), I had promised to write to him regularly so that he wouldn't have to worry about me.

"I don't worry. Worry is an emotion," he'd said.

"Yeah, right. If you didn't worry, you wouldn't have tried to give me this necklace as a good luck charm. I thought you didn't even believe in luck!"

I smiled at the memory as I started to write.

 _Dear Ai-kun,_

 _Man, it's been a long time since I last wrote a letter. I think the last time I wrote one was when I was eight, I wrote a letter to my grandma living out in the country, so I'm not really sure how to write one anymore. My parents helped a lot with that one, too, so... Either way, I guess I'm getting off topic. How are you? How are your studies going?_

 _Speaking of studies, I managed to get into S Class! That's the top class for students here, so I'm really happy with my results. According to our teacher, if we don't live up to his standards, we will get bumped down to the next highest class, so I'll be working extra hard from here on out to be able to stay where I am. Will you wish me luck again? (ha ha)_

 _I miss you, Ai. You may not be very lively company, but you're very dependable. I don't think I'll have a lot of time for making friends while I'm here, so make sure you set aside a lot of time to spend with me when I'm home for winter break, okay? I'll probably talk your ear off! (Not literally, Ai-kun. It's just a saying. Don't freak out!)_

 _Make sure the professor gives you a hug for me, okay?_

 _Hugs,_

 _\- Shinako_

I set the paper down, smiling as I folded it neatly and stuffed it into a stamped envelope. I would go down to the receptionist tomorrow before class and ask them to send it. My smile faded as I turned back to the paper before me.

Now for the harder letter. This was going to be terrible.

I took a deep breath, bringing up my pen once again. My hand hovered with the tip of the pen just off the paper for a long few minutes as I tried to think of what to write, before I finally wrote the first two words.

 _Dear Aine,_ it read.

I felt the tears coming to my eyes already.

 _I miss you._

 _I know it's been almost three years already since you fell into a coma, but I still miss you. Nothing will change that. It hurt when you left me, and it still hurts. No one can fill the hole that you left in me, no matter how much you try._

 _I feel like I betrayed you when I agreed to look after Ai. He's like your younger, robotic doppelganger. Uncle Jirou insists that his becoming an idol will help you wake up, but how long will that take? I help him as much as I can, but there's only so much I can do. I'm no expert of anything, and he has trouble feeling and identifying emotions..._

 _I got into Saotome Gakuen. I know you would be so happy for me, but you're not here to share the good news with me. Just being here makes me think of you, and how your school life must have been before you became an idol. You had lots of friends, right? That's what you told me, anyway. There was Kei, and that guy you called Rei-chan, who I thought was a girl until you told me otherwise, because of his nickname..._

 _I wonder if I'll have a school life like you had? I'm going to be working extra hard to try and become a composer worthy of working with Ai when he makes his debut._

 _I wish you would wake up. I would have loved to compose for you, too..._

 _Love,_

 _\- Shinako_

The ink was smudged with tear stains, and the writing was shaky. I read it over and over again, and I could almost imagine him reading it. It would make him so sad, if he did. Not that he could, anyways. A sudden burst of anger rushed through me, and I went to rip the paper in half. I only got halfway down the middle before I gasped and dropped it. I quickly scooped it up, cradling it close to me as I grabbed a roll of tape and carefully taped the rip.

I sighed. I couldn't even get rid of something like this, because it reminded me of Aine.

I neatly folded the letter, tucking it into the back of one of my notebooks for safe-keeping.

I couldn't get rid of it. Just like I couldn't stop missing Aine.


	7. six

**Secret Guardian**

 **-chapter six-**

* * *

 **A/N:** Just so you guys know, there's a bunch of lyrics in this chapter, and they're all ones that I wrote. So...yeah. Be nice.

Also, Kira from HEAVENS is here! Yay!

Ai fans, don't worry; he'll be back next chapter. :)

* * *

I was more than a little nervous to share Yamato's and my song with the class at the end of the week. I tend to get stage fright, but that wasn't the whole problem. The main part of the problem was that Yamato flat-out refused to share the lyrics he wrote with me before we performed it for the class, no matter how much I whined or otherwise annoyed him. (What can I say? The guy is just so much fun to annoy.)

As it was, when Hyuga-sensei smirked and called us up to perform, I could feel my fingers trembling as I took out my electric guitar and hooked it up to the amp. There was a bit of whispering at that, because most people had used the piano or acoustic guitar for their songs, but I was the first one to go to the trouble of hooking up an electric guitar. There was a very specific sound I'd been going for, though. It complimented the accompaniment I had written for Yamato, as well as his voice. At least he had sung in front of me, even if he hadn't given any hint as to his lyrics. I shared a glance with Yamato as I slung the guitar strap over my shoulder, standing up straight. His brow furrowed, almost as if to ask if I was okay to start. I gave a small nod and he took out his lyrics and held them in front of him, signaling me to start. I took a deep breath and felt myself relax, placing my fingers in the correct position before I began moving them quickly, picking out the complicated riff I had written for the opening. It carried the melody and harmony until it came to Yamato's cue to sing.

I was glad I had practiced as much as I had, or I would have fumbled at the power in Yamato's voice when he came in, and the overwhelmingly personal feeling the lyrics had.

 _I am rolling, rolling, rolling down, unwinding  
I am caught between the truth and lies I'm finding  
And I'm hearing the echo of my heart's repeating thrum_

 _I am rolling, rolling, rolling down, becoming  
Someone I don't recognize, becoming something  
That I once thought I'd never want to be in all my years_

I began playing around the melody, wrapping it with the sound of the guitar as my fingers flew. The reverb on the electric guitar resonated with the smooth tenor of Yamato's voice, accentuating the gritty edge that he was forcing into it. I could feel myself grinning uncontrollably as I played. The song sounded even better than I had expected it to.

 _Reaching up and up, I clutch at what my  
Soul has secretly longed for  
Searching through and through this life I find  
The very presence I adore_

 _Search me, I am so worn down  
Find me worthy to be found  
Fix me, I am so in need of what you have to offer me_

Yamato repeated the chorus twice before he quieted, matching the simpler picking of the guitar at this point.

 _I am rolling, rolling, rolling forth, becoming  
Something better than I ever could hope for..._

We both held the last note, our eyes meeting as we cut them off. I grinned at Yamato, and he smirked in return as if to say, _Yeah, we're awesome._ The class burst into applause, and we both bowed before I hastily unhooked my guitar and set it and my amp away at the back of the room. As I sat down, I caught Hyuga-sensei smirking at Yamato, though I could see a gleam of pride in his eyes.

"Good job, you two," he said. "I'll expect something even better next time."

That was the last of his praise, as he quickly launched into the lesson for the day. I could see from my seat, though, that Yamato had a small, genuine smile on his face. I could feel my own lips turn upwards at the sight.

It might be a little self-centered of me to think, but I helped that little moment between the two brothers happen. The thought made me feel warm inside.

* * *

I sat at the piano in one of the music rooms, staring at the keys. It had been a while since I composed for piano, because I was more comfortable with the guitar, seeing as it was the instrument I learned first and was most familiar with. The piano, though...it had such a gentle sound, but at the same time could be very bright. It was very versatile. I could see why a lot of people favored the piano for making compositions. Taking a deep breath, I began playing in E minor, before switching to E major after a few bars. The notes that came out were wistful and longing. I could feel lyrics bubbling up inside of me, and I sang them softly as I played, switching back and forth between minor and major as I went.

 _I go to say your name but it's stuck to my tongue  
The grief weighs heavy in my mouth  
But I will carry on with your memory in my mind  
Though your image fades  
I still think about those days_

 _La, la... la, la, la... la, la..._

 _Though I lay my weary bones on the ground  
The will to carry on a whisper that is long since faded  
I know that I will think of you and the strength that you once had  
And though your image fades  
It leads me on my way_

 _La, la... la, la, la... la, la..._

 _Your memory, the thing that tethers me here  
Oh  
Your memory, both causes and dries these tears  
Oh  
Your memory, of suffering and stalwart faith  
Oh  
Your memory, convincing me to stay_

 _La, la... la, la, la... la, la..._

I hummed a bit as I trailed off, my fingers lingering on the keys even after I had stopped playing. I would have to write that down as soon as I got back to my room; of course, I forgot to bring my blank music sheets with me when I came here after supper...

"Shinako Mura. Did you write that?"

I jumped, clapping a hand over my heart. Standing next to the piano was one of my classmates. I recognized him as being one of the keeners that sat near the front of the class, Sumeragi something-or-other... Kira, I think? He was from an old, well-to-do family. He didn't really talk much, though. I hadn't seen him hanging out with any of our classmates. A fellow loner, I thought. I frowned.

"Don't scare me like that, Sumeragi-san," I said. "But to answer your question, yes it is. I didn't realize anyone was here, or I wouldn't have been singing..." I averted my eyes, looking back at the piano keys rather than my yellow-eyed classmate. I gave a huff of laughter. "There's a reason I'm not in the idol course."

"It was nice."

I looked back at him, eyebrows raised. "Oh?"

He nodded.

I rubbed the back of my neck, suddenly uncomfortable with his quiet stare. I grabbed my bag of snacks that I had been intending to take back to my dorm room before I got distracted with the desire to make music, standing up from the piano bench and heading for the door.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Sumeragi-san. See you in class, I guess," I said with a wave.

"Wait."

I paused, my hand on the doorknob. I raised an eyebrow at him, waving a hand for him to go on.

"Be my partner next time."

I didn't have to ask what he meant by "next time". He meant the next assignment we had. I frowned.

"I hate to disappoint you, Sumeragi-san, but I don't write songs for people I don't know."

Kira walked towards me, only stopping when he was barely a foot from me. I had to tilt my head back to look him in the eye, seeing as he was about four inches taller than me. Damn tall people. (I'm not short or anything, I'm five-foot-seven, but I don't like when people are taller than me. It's annoying, okay?)

"Then let's be friends."

He stuck his hand out to me. I stared at it for a moment. Maybe if I stare long enough without speaking, he'll get unnerved, too? The seconds ticked by, but Kira showed no sign that he was getting uncomfortable, or that he was going to take his hand back anytime soon. Finally, I sighed.

"Argh! Fine," I said, grabbing his hand and shaking it quickly before dropping it. I said quickly in a monotone voice, "Nice to meet you Sumeragi-san, my name is Shinako Mura, but you can call me Shinako. In return I'm going to call you Kira-kun and no, you don't have any say in it." I turned around and all but ripped the music room door open. "There! From now on you'll be sitting with me at lunch, and no, you don't have any say in that, either!" I waved without turning back around and all but ran back to my dorm room.

Ugh. My classmates are _weird._

* * *

"Ha-ha! I have created a beautiful piece of art using nothing but salad!"

"What the hell is that supposed to be? A mutated fish?" Yamato scoffed.

I gasped, offended. Nobody scoffs at my art! I promptly took one of the pieces of tomato and catapulted it at him with my fork, causing him to splutter indignantly.

"Have at thee, critic!" I said. "Why are you even sitting here if you're just going to mock me, anyway?"

Yamato huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Hell if I know. It's just weird now that you're not following me around everywhere, okay!?"

I stared at him for a moment before grinning.

"Aww, Yama-chan! You missed me, didn't you?"

He started to splutter again, but this time his face was noticeably red. _Aha! Bull's-eye!_ Yamato likes to pretend he's a cool lone wolf, but he's really quite the tsundere.

"N-never mind that!" he said, trying to change the subject. "What is that stick-in-the-mud doing here?" He pointed accusingly at Kira, who was sitting beside me, calmly sipping his tea. Kira met Yamato's glare with a blank stare of his own.

I shrugged.

"Well, seeing as he said he wants to partner with me for our next song-writing project, I told him he has to sit with me at lunch." I rolled my eyes. "You, on the other hand..." I made a shooing motion.

"AH! What the hell!? I thought we were going to be partners from here on out, you traitor!"

"Who's the traitor!? I never agreed to anything of the sort!"

"I thought it was implied with how well we worked together!"

"Nuh-uh! Learn to use your words, Yama-chan!"

There was a loud _clink_ as Kira set down his teacup on the saucer. We both looked at him, and he glared at us, exuding a dark aura.

" _Noisy._ "

Yamato glared at Kira again, but I just sank down in my seat. I hadn't even realized I'd stood up to lean across the table to yell at Yamato. He'd done the same, though. He huffed and sat down as well. I sighed.

"Ahh, Kira-kun. Yama-chan is so mean to me, make him be nice."

"Wait, you call him -kun and I'm still -chan!?"

"Hush your mouth, Yama-chan. You're giving Kira-kun a headache."

Kira nodded, reaching over and patting me on the head. I froze.

"Be nice," Kira said to Yamato. He paused. "...Yama-chan."

I burst out laughing, trying to forget the hand on my head. I could hear Yamato gnashing his teeth together from across the table, glaring murderously at Kira.

I could tell my school life would be very lively, with these two around.


	8. seven

**Secret Guardian**

 **-chapter seven-**

* * *

 **A/N:** So I realized during this chapter that Shinako really yells a lot...she's really energetic! Haha, this wasn't my plan for her character at all, but I'm glad she got her own personality in the end. Also, I wasn't expecting this story to have so much humor, but after all the other serious, heavy fanfics I've been writing, it's really nice to write so much banter and comedy.

Now, for all you Ai fans... behold the promised chapter! AI RETURNS!

PS. Still not sure about pairings. I'm not sure if I want Ai and Shinako together because of the age difference... but he's a robot, so does it really matter... but he's a robot, so should he be paired at all... aghhh, I don't know...

* * *

I flopped down on Ai's bed, exhausted.

"Ai-kuuuun...can you get me some coffee, please?" I pleaded, giving him my best puppy-dog eyes. He stared at me blankly.

"...Lazy woman."

"AH! So mean!"

He sighed, turning and leaving. I pouted, flipping over onto my back and staring up at the ceiling. It was winter break already. It seemed like time had just raced by and already we were nearing the end of the first semester. True to my word, I had paired up with Kira for the last song-writing assignment we had been given before the break started. He was a really quiet guy normally, but he had a very alluring, full voice when he was singing, and he was very expressive with his lyrics. I was able to give him a relatively simple piano accompaniment. It was the kind of song that I felt would sound good at both ends of the spectrum when it came to instrumentation; either super-simplified as we had performed it, or with a full orchestra behind it, given the singer had the charisma to keep the audience's main focus on them. Thankfully, Kira did. I started to look at him a little differently after we worked together: curiously. He was very good at what he did. I could tell he had the potential to at least become a top idol nationally, if not abroad, as well. That wasn't to say that I didn't think Yamato was talented, it just seemed like when Kira was singing, he had a lot more... _charisma_.

I messed with my bangs, pulling them up in front of my face and staring at them. I was still keeping with my messy Aine-look-alike hairstyle, but I felt like it was...lacking something. Maybe I should put some color in it...

"Sit up."

"Eh?"

I looked over to see Ai had crept in when I wasn't paying attention, and he was holding...

"Coffee! Ah, you do love me after all, Ai-kun!"

He seemed mildly surprised at my words.

"Wha...t...?"

I didn't even realize the effect that my words had on him as I sat up, gratefully taking the hot beverage from him and blowing on it before taking a sip.

"Ahhh, perfect. If you ever decide you've had enough of being an idol, Ai-kun, you can always come be my personal barista."

When he didn't respond, I looked up at him, only to find he had the look on his face that he got whenever his computer brain was going into overdrive to try and solve a problem. Unfortunately, that, accompanied by the way that his fingers were twitching sporadically, did not bode well. Especially when it suddenly stopped. Ai's eyes suddenly went completely blank, and he dropped to the floor.

"AH! UNCLE! I THINK I BROKE AI-KUN!"

* * *

The professor sighed as he rubbed the worried crease in his forehead. He held out his hand, and I wordlessly passed him a pair of pliers.

"I see," he said, responding at length to what I had just told him about what had happened before Ai collapsed. "I think that's the problem. Whenever Ai starts thinking too hard about complex emotions like that, it seems like his system overloads, and we end up here again..."

I frowned.

"I'm sorry for the trouble I caused," I said. "I'll try to be more careful with what I say from now on."

Uncle Jirou shook his head. "It can't be helped. I didn't think to tell you, since you've been so good with him up until now. I don't want you to start tip-toeing around him, I feel like that would just do more harm than good for his mental health."

I was quiet for a moment.

"How has he been, anyway? I wrote him at least five letters, but he never responded to any of them..." The thought made me kind of depressed. I kept up my side of the bargain, but was always disappointed when I never received any reply. Not that I had made him promise to write me back, but still, I had hoped... Yamato and Kira had proved to be good companions (if a little annoying or unnerving, respectively), but they weren't replacements for Ai.

Just like Ai wasn't a replacement for Aine.

The thought made me pause.

Ai _wasn't_ a replacement for Aine, to me. Looking at him didn't usually hurt anymore, either, like it used to. I liked being around Ai, making music with him, talking with him. Even if he was an uncute little brat.

Ai was my best friend.

I sighed. Great. My best friend is a robot. How many teenage girls can honestly say that? And I thought my classmates were weird...

Uncle Jirou gave me a weird look from where he was crouched over Ai's open chest cavity, reconnecting a loose wire. As if it weren't weird enough that I was friends with a robot, here I was helping my uncle fix his innards. It's like watching someone you know get surgery. Weird, and more than a little cringe-worthy. I'm glad I wasn't prone to fainting, or I might have by now. Knowing that Ai was a robot didn't make seeing the wires and mechanisms in his chest any less shocking.

"Ai's been working really hard, you know," he said quietly. "I think he's trying to catch up to you."

I snorted.

"Well that's silly. Anyone can see that he's easily more knowledgeable than me when it comes to music...or anything, really."

The professor chuckled.

"Ai certainly doesn't seem to think that way. He really envies the way you compose. He likes the feelings that you pour into your work."

That made me feel a little awkward.

"Uh...well, of course I'll pour my feelings into it. That's the only way to compose something really good, isn't it? Otherwise, it won't touch other people..."

Uncle Jirou looked at me over his glasses.

"That," he said. "That right there."

I gave him a confused look. "What?" I looked back over my shoulder, but there was nothing there. I looked back at him. "What are you talking about, Uncle?"

He rolled his eyes before focusing back on what he was doing.

"I'm talking about how easy you make it seem, bearing your soul like you do in your music. That's what Ai envies, that you can open yourself up so easily for anyone to see."

I shook my head.

"That's all well and good, but what does it have to do with Ai working hard? I don't know if that's something that you can really exhaust yourself trying to be able to do..."

Uncle Jirou looked thoughtful.

"Well, maybe not, but he's been working extra hard to improve his skills, along with his song-writing abilities, these past few months... He actually worked himself so hard last month that he didn't sleep for a week! I didn't realize until he collapsed that it had been going on, so I finally set my foot down and made him slow down a bit." He frowned at the A.I. as he closed up his chest cavity, sealing it shut again. "Besides, he needed to be well-rested for the holiday break, or he would've missed out on your visit and been disappointed with himself."

I chuckled. I could almost picture eleven-year-old Ai with a slight pout on his face when he realized he'd slept through my visit. I looked down at Ai fondly.

"Well, at least now I know why the kid didn't write me. Even if it is a rather crappy excuse," I said, smoothing his bangs back out of his face.

His eyes popped open.

"GAH!" I yelled, jumping back. I hid my hand behind my back like I hadn't just totally petted my younger friend's hair. What can I say? I'm weird. I've realized I just have to accept it, at this point.

"I apologize, Shinako-nee. I didn't think I had anything important enough to write you a letter about, so I didn't want to bother you," Ai said, sitting up. "If you want me to, though, I will from now on."

I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest.

"You better, you little punk. Do you know how lonely I felt writing to someone who never wrote back!?"

"Hmm?" Ai blinked up at me as he finished slipping his purple hoodie back on. It didn't escape my notice that it was the one I bought him for his 'birthday'. What a sap. He really did miss me, after all. "I thought you made friends with those two classmates of yours, Kira Sumeragi and Yamato Hyuga?"

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Ai-kun, just because I made other friends doesn't mean you're not my friend anymore. You were my friend first, after all. I'm not about to run off and leave you just because I have other friends from school now."

Ai was quiet for a moment, staring at the floor, before he walked up to me and grabbed my hand, not looking at my face.

"Thank you, Shinako-nee," he said. He seemed to be thinking about something before he asked, "Will you help me compose something?"

I smiled warmly at him.

"Of course, Ai-kun." I looked at where he stood, the top of his head already level with my chin. "But you're going to have to do me a favor...promise me you'll stop growing."

"I can't promise that," he said bluntly. "It's not my fault if you end up stunting your growth from all the coffee you drink."

"AH! How mean, Ai-kun! Maybe I won't help you compose, after all!"

"The chances of that happening are exactly zero percent."

"RUDE!"

* * *

My parents insisted on taking me out to the countryside to visit my grandma and cousins there for Christmas day and the few days afterward, so Uncle Jirou agreed to wait until I was back and have Christmas with Ai and me. It was almost nine o'clock in the evening by the time I reached Uncle Jirou's house. Thankfully, my dad gave me a ride, as he didn't want me riding the subway by myself after dark. The only downside was that he drove slower than a turtle trudging through molasses. Jumping out with my gifts in hand, I quickly thanked my dad for the ride and shut the car door, running up the step and ringing the doorbell three times in quick succession. I heard a crash inside and Ai yelling, "I'll get it!" I grinned. Ai likes to act all cool, but I know he misses me when I'm gone.

The door opened to reveal a stony-faced Ai. If it weren't for what I heard, and the fact that his hair was slightly askew, I would have never guessed that he was running for the door just seconds ago.

"You're late," he said.

I shrugged.

"Eh, my parents took forever unpacking the car, and then my dad insisted on driving me rather than letting me take the subway. You know how slow he drives."

"Painfully," he said bluntly.

Oh, Ai, you understand my pain.

"Ah, see? So now you know why I'm late. It's not my fault!" I said, holding up the wrapped gifts in front of me. "Besides, I brought peace offerings! Now let me in, it's freezing out here!"

Ai gave me an unimpressed look. "It hasn't even hit the freezing point."

"Eh, I'm cold-blooded."

"It's not even scientifically possible for you to be cold-blooded."

"Says you!"

Ai gave a huff of air that was his version of a laugh and grabbed the presents out of my hand with one arm, grabbing my wrist with his free hand and dragging me inside. I just about fell over from the sudden movement, but caught myself using the open door.

"Jerk," I said, sticking out my tongue at him before I quickly removed my boots and shut the door behind me. It really was cold out! I even dressed for the weather! I shucked off my thick wool jacket and scarf, tossing them on the storage bench next to the door. The professor didn't mind my messy habits, as long as I tidied up before I left, which I was careful to ever since he banned me from visiting for a whole month a few years ago due to not cleaning up after myself. (Did I learn to try and adopt neater habits, though? No, because I'm much too set in my ways for that...)

"Oh, Shinako. Good, I was just making hot cocoa for all of us," Uncle Jirou said, poking his head out from the kitchen. "Grab a seat, I'll bring it out to the living room."

I grinned at Ai as I flopped down on the couch next to him, placing my feet in his lap even though I knew it annoyed him. (Okay, let's be honest; that's actually why I did it in the first place.)

"You realize you're going to have to deal with a hyped-up, caffeinated me after this," I pointed out, smiling sweetly.

Ai gave a put-open sigh, but shook his head.

"I didn't try to talk the professor out of it just this once, seeing as tomorrow is your birthday."

"Aww, your birthday gift to me is putting up with my caffeinated self?" I gave him a shrewd look. "Ai-kun, you're not by any chance a closet masochist, are you?"

Ai gave that breathy laugh again. It warmed my heart to hear him laugh like that. Uncle Jirou walked into the living room then with a tray of three mugs of steaming hot cocoa, and Ai shoved my feet off his lap. Scrooge. I eagerly accepted my cocoa and proceeded to blow on it for a solid minute before taking a sip. What can I say? I'm a wuss, and unlike Ai, the professor just uses straight boiling water because he can't seem to understand how easily I burn my tongue, despite how much I like hot drinks like cocoa and coffee.

"Alright! Who wants to hand out the presents?"

I shot my hand up.

"Okay, Shinako, you're up!"

I set down my cocoa. By the time we were done, it should be about the right temperature for me, anyway. I handed the professor my gift to him first. He ripped it open with a look of anticipation.

"Oh, Shinako! It's beautiful!"

He clutched his new penguin mug possessively. I laughed. A little-known fact about the professor was his almost obsessive love of all things penguin-related. It was one of his odd little quirks, but it was amusing, at least.

"Ai-kun next!"

I took my present over to him and placed it gently on his lap. He looked up at me questioningly from the large size and weight of it. I gave him a somewhat sheepish smile.

"Technically, this is from both my parents and me. I did some odd jobs over the past few months, but I wasn't able to make quite enough money to buy it by myself..."

Ai gave me a curious look before carefully prying open the wrapping paper, not ripping it like the average child would. Once he had most of the tape removed, he parted the paper to reveal my gift.

"A synthesizer..." he said, looking at the instrument with interest. It was a couple steps up from the one he was currently using, being a much more advanced model. "You shouldn't have, Shinako-nee," he said, his brow furrowed. Obviously he knew how much it had cost me (and my poor parents).

I frowned, putting my hands on my hips. "Don't you dare refuse it!" I said. "Just say thank you, you little punk."

Ai smiled a little, looking back down at the synthesizer.

"...Thank you."

I grinned.

"Much better! Now, let's carry on with the gifts!"

The professor gave Ai a video game (probably trying to encourage him to do something other than music every once in a while; we'll see if it works or not), Ai gave the professor a new lab coat with his last name embroidered on the chest pocket, and the professor gave me a new pair of mittens fashioned like little sheep. They were adorable. That only left Ai's gift to me. When I took it onto my lap, I saw Ai's hands clench into loose fists in his lap, even though he was still just as stony-faced as ever.

 _Ah, Ai. I know you too well_. I couldn't help but smirk a little at his obvious anticipation, and opened the gift as slooowly as possible without being too obvious that I was doing it on purpose. I could see him slowly growing annoyed at me, so I finished prying the tape off in one quick rip and opened the paper. Better not aggravate him too much...

I flipped over the black box to find the label, and was surprised to see what it was.

"A microphone...?" I said, surprised, looking over at Ai. I wasn't a singer, so what was this for?

"It's so you can record rough drafts of your compositions on your computer," he said, pointing at the side of the box. "See? It plugs straight into your computer. It even comes with a program to record tracks with."

My face lit up at the idea.

"Ah! That's so exciting!" I placed the microphone on the coffee table and gave Ai a quick hug. "Thanks, Ai-kun! I'll use it lots!"

"Get off me, woman."

"AI-KUN, YOU'RE SO MEAN!"


	9. eight

**Secret Guardian**

 **-chapter eight-**

* * *

 **A/N:** So, chapter eight already, eh!? Not a bad word count for having started writing this story three days ago! Hahaha I've been writing like a madwoman since this is my week off from work! (Working part-time is good in some ways? Lol) I hope you all are enjoying this story so far, and if so... REVIEW! And if not... REVIEW! I love constructive criticism. -bows-

In other news, I'm splitting this story up into three parts, as you'll see from the new title on chapter one. After chapter nine, we'll have a year time skip and part two will start! I'm not expecting this story to be any more than 35 chapters in length, although the chapters seem to keep getting progressively longer... aghhh, my poor fingers...

Anyway. ENJOY!

* * *

I stared at myself in the mirror, fussing with my newly cyan-streaked, messy bangs. I grinned.

"Thanks for helping me with this, Ai-kun," I said, turning and hugging the stoic youth. "I couldn't have done it without you!"

"Technically, that's a lie. You could have done it by yourself, but it would have ended up as a complete catastrophe," he said mildly, still tinkering with his synthesizer even though he didn't have the sound on. He seemed to be very fond of it. I gave myself a mental pat on the back for my gift choice.

I shrugged. "Well, either way, I owe you one now."

"Just pay me back with your music."

"Ah! That's what you always say! I must have given you a good thirty or so songs by now. Haven't you had enough of them by now? I'm sure they must be getting boring already..."

"No," he said firmly, making me look at him with a bit of surprise. His voice went back to its usual calm tone as he elaborated, "I enjoy your music. It makes me feel...warm."

I stared at him for a minute, wide-eyed. That was a rather bold statement for someone who said they couldn't feel emotions; someone who collapsed when they thought too much about strong emotions like love. Heck, it was practically a love confession, coming from the cyan-haired android.

I grinned, squeezing him tighter.

"Ai-kun! Tell me more about how you feel all lovey-dovey towards my music!"

"I never used those words, woman."

"You might as well have, though!"

"Not in the slightest."

I sighed, letting go of Ai and flopping down on his bed on my back, staring up at the ceiling.

"Man, I'm gonna miss you when I go back tomorrow," I said, feeling depressed at the thought of another few Ai-less months. I sat up suddenly as I realized something.

"AH! I'm gonna miss your twelfth birthday!" I cried. "You're gonna be old by the time I see you again!"

Ai sighed.

"So overdramatic..."

I crossed my arms over my chest defiantly.

"What? I can't help wanting to celebrate my best friend's birthday with him!"

Ai tilted his head, looking at me like he wasn't entirely sure what I'd just said.

"Best...friend...?" He gripped the front of his shirt. Ah, crap. I really hoped what I said wouldn't make him overheat again. I didn't like seeing him like that last time. It was kind of scary, not knowing if he would wake up. It was like Aine all over again...

"What are best friends...?"

I blinked at him.

"Hm?" I tapped my chin with my index finger. "Well...best friends are the closest of friends. They do pretty much everything together, and even if they end up living a long way from each other, they still keep in touch and think about each other a lot... Best friends share their feelings and secrets with each other, and they cheer each other up when they're feeling sad... They know what each other's likes, dislikes, and habits are... Even when they annoy each other, they know they still care about one another..." I trailed off, trying to think of anything else. "That sort of thing, I guess? That's what best friends are. To me, anyways." I laughed softly, rubbing the back of my neck and hoping my explanation was clear enough for my robot friend. Man, Ai sure liked to put me on the spot like that a lot...

"I see..." Ai said quietly, though it looked like he was still trying to process the information I'd given him. "So you are my best friend, after all."

"Really!?" I said. I mean, it was one thing to think someone was your best friend, but it was another thing to have them feel the same way and confirm it. I grinned happily. "That means a lot to me, Ai-kun!"

Ai stared at me for a moment, as though he was trying to figure me out.

"I don't understand, though," he said. "Why do you call me your best friend? You know I'm an A.I., I'm not a human. Isn't that somehow...strange, for you?"

"Well, it was at first, but then I just sort of...got used to it, I guess? The fact that you're just a little weird," I joked. He didn't laugh. I shrugged it off. "To be honest, I don't find you all that different from anyone else. You're less expressive about your feelings than most people are, but...you still have things you like, things you dislike, certain habits and hobbies and strengths and weaknesses. You learn things really quickly, but that's not to say that you learn without working at it, because you do. You put a lot of effort into doing things and achieving your goals, and I admire that in you." I smiled at him. The look he was giving me was a little weird compared to his usual look. Almost... softer, somehow. "So yeah, I call you my best friend. It's not strange to me." I laughed. "I'm the strange one, if anything."

Ai laughed softly. My ears perked up at the sound. I looked and found he was...smiling!?

 _Did I break Ai-kun again!?_

"Well, you're not wrong about that, at least."

"AH! Ai-kun, was that... was that a joke!?"

He shrugged, turning back to his synthesizer.

"Who knows?"

"GAH! You're so confusing, Ai-kun!"

* * *

It was the first day back at class after the winter break, and I was already running late. And I do mean _running_. I huffed and puffed as I ran at a full sprint down the hallway towards Hyuga-sensei's classroom, my mind screaming that I was definitely not in good enough shape for this as I went. I skidded into the classroom just as the buzzer rang to signal the start of class, breathing a huge sigh of relief. (And then going back to trying to catch my breath. Running is hard work, especially first thing in the morning!)

"Mura-san, take your seat," Hyuga-sensei said, giving me a look that was equal parts annoyed and amused. I bowed apologetically and scurried over to my desk, flipping open my notebook and textbook at the same time.

"Now, I trust you all did the assigned reading over the break," yes, Hyuga-sensei, Ai-kun made sure of that; the slave-driver, "so we'll start with a pop quiz!"

The entire class groaned in defeat.

Thankfully, the quiz was easy enough. It was mostly stuff we'd learned before the break, with only a few questions from the assigned reading. So while it would still be really obvious if you didn't do the reading over the break, I doubted anyone would outright fail the quiz. And honestly, if they did, how the heck did they get into S Class in the first place!? Seriously...

After we handed in the quizzes, Hyuga-sensei did a little lecture on arrangements and how they could change even the most basic composition into something amazing. I found myself grinning cheesily at the thought. That was something I had been working on the past few months, and now that I had the microphone Ai had given me for Christmas, I could work on it even more since I would be able to record all the different parts I was thinking of and play around with them while being able to actually listen to what it would sound like, instead of just imagining it. I was really looking forward to it. Have I mentioned how much I love music yet?

When the bell rang for lunch, I scurried into the cafeteria and sat down at my usual table, only to be all but mauled by Yamato and Kira. (Okay, I might be overstating it a little, there. It was more like they both glared at me and demanded to know why I refused to meet up with them over the winter break.)

"Hey, hey, calm down, you mother hens," I said placatingly. It didn't ease their Looks of Death in the slightest. "Ehehe..." I laughed nervously, rubbing the back of my neck. "Sorry? I kind of promised my best friend I would hang out with him over the winter break, though, seeing as I never get to see him during the school year..."

Kira raised an eyebrow and shared a look with Yamato.

"Wait, _him?_ " Yamato said, giving me a weird look. "Your best friend is a _guy?_ "

It was my turn to give him a weird look. "What, and that's strange to you how? I mean, both of you are guys, and you're my friends... Besides, no need to get jealous over it. He's not even twelve, yet," I said with a shrug.

"Oh, good," Yamato said, relaxing a bit before straightening back up. "Wait, your best friend is an eleven-year-old!? Isn't that a little weird!?"

I waved him off. "Ai-kun doesn't act like he's twelve. If anything, he acts like he's a stoic seventy-year-old geezer."

"And that's less weird than being friends with an eleven-year-old!?"

Kira nodded his agreement.

"Ah, come on, guys... so mean..."

Kira bopped me lightly on the head, and I grabbed the place he had hit, trying to protect it. I was just about ready to ream him out for it when he held out a small, neatly wrapped gift to me. A second gift appeared next to it, and I saw Yamato holding it out from across the table, resolutely not looking at me, though I could see his cheeks were a little pink. _So tsundere!_ I cooed mentally.

"You guys..." I said, gently taking the gifts from them. "I...I didn't get you guys anything! I didn't realize we were doing a gift exchange, neither of you told me! Aw, now I feel bad..."

Kira patted me on the head, shaking his head as if to say I didn't have to get him anything. Yamato just scoffed, but said nothing.

"I...I know!" I said as an idea came to me. "I'll write each of you another song! How does that sound?"

Kira smiled.

"Yeah."

I looked over at Yamato. He was pouting a bit, but he gave me a smirk when our eyes met.

"Hm. I guess I'll accept that."

I rolled my eyes at him.

"Careful, I might end up making it a waltz if you're not nice to me..."

"You wouldn't dare!"

I smirked, carefully opening both of their gifts. Kira had given me a pair of blue ear buds for my music player, and Yamato had given me the latest CD from one of the rock bands we both listen to. I grinned.

"Aww, what a pair of saps..."

They both scoffed.

* * *

I sat in my room, fiddling with the ukulele my parents had bought me for Christmas. I liked the bright, cheery sound of it. It made me think of friendship and sunny days at the beach.

Which, ironically enough, was where my entire class was right now.

It was almost time for us to start working on our graduation auditions, which, of course, meant picking partners to work with. I was in a bit of a pickle already, because both Yamato and Kira had told me before we even arrived at the beach to "mingle" with our classmates that they wanted me as their partner. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's great that both of my friends wanted me as their partner and all, it meant there was no way I would be without a partner. The problem was that I really hated the idea of choosing between them. Both Yamato and Kira had a great presence, lots of charisma, and they made really great lyrics for my compositions. They both had the potential to be top idols, I thought. I didn't want my composition to be the deciding factor between which one got scouted by an agency or not, though. I don't know if I would be able to bear it if I chose one of them and then the other didn't get scouted because they got stuck with a composer that didn't know their personality and strengths as well as I did.

I sighed, picking a few more notes on the ukulele. The music reflected my mood as the notes turned more and more depressing. Apparently, even a cheerful instrument like this can be made to sound like that, huh? I huffed. I wondered briefly what kind of advice Ai would give me if he were here. He usually gave pretty sound advice.

 _Go with the most logical choice,_ I could almost imagine him saying.

I shook my head.

I guess I know who I'm picking, then...

* * *

I slowly plucked out the composition I had made for Kira on the strings of my acoustic guitar. I felt like a crappy friend for deserting Yamato when he asked for my help with the graduation audition. After choosing to go with the person I figured was the "logical choice" according to my imagined advice from Ai, I apologized to Yamato saying and told him my choice, only to have him give me the cold shoulder. He didn't even sit with the two of us at lunch anymore, choosing instead to sit at a far table by himself. It hurt that he was acting so betrayed. I hadn't meant to hurt him like that. I sighed, letting my hand go limp and accidentally hitting a sour note in the process. I cringed.

What could I do to get Yamato to forgive me? Every time I tried to talk to him, to try and apologize again, he just brushed me off and walked away. I didn't want our friendship to end that way, with such a big misunderstanding between us.

Biting the inside of my cheek, I looked down at my guitar, thinking. Then it hit me. I stared at my guitar for a moment, wide-eyed, before laughing.

"Hah! Why didn't I think of that before?" I said to myself, quickly changing the key I was playing in to something... sharp. I needed something with a little edge for what I was going to do.

It didn't take long until I had poured all of my emotions into the song. I quickly wrote down the notes on the blank music sheet next to me, determined to complete my task tonight, even though it was already quite late. I packed my guitar away the moment I finished copying the notes to the sheet, quickly making my way to the room of the composer that was paired with Yamato for the graduation audition. Whether or not they would share the sheet with Yamato was all in their hands, I thought as I slipped the sheet under the door, knocking and quickly running around the corner so I wouldn't be seen, but there could be no mistaking the fact that it was intended to be for Yamato due to the fact that I'd scratched the kanji for his name at the top of the sheet.

I sighed, not sure if I wanted to head back to my room this late at night and risk waking up my roommate, seeing as she was a very light sleeper and got upset when I disturbed her sleep. Frowning, I decided just to nap on the couch in the music room instead, curling up in a ball on the soft cushions and setting the alarm on my phone to go off when it was a decent enough hour for me to go back to my room and get ready for class.

Needless to say, when I woke up and went to class the next morning, I was already beat. I kept stifling yawns behind my hand despite the interesting topic Hyuga-sensei was covering (tremolos and trills, when they work best and how to perform them), and I even almost nodded off when he got one of the other students to play a classical piece on the piano. (Hey, I like classical as much as the next person, but when I'm already feeling tired, it puts me to sleep!)

When I dragged myself to lunch, I felt like I might just fall asleep in my soup. Kira had to shake my shoulder once to keep me from falling over, I was drooping so much.

"You should nap after this," he said, seeming genuinely concerned. Probably that I would start sleep-walking back to my classes and end up tripping into a hole and dying. Well, knowing my luck... just kidding.

There was a _thunk_ as someone dropped their tray down across from mine. I blinked blearily, only for my eyes to shoot open.

"Yama-chan?" I said, confused. "Aren't you busy...I dunno...not talking to me?"

Yamato gave me a look that said, "we'll talk later," but just shook his head and started eating his soup. I smiled, tucking into my food a little more eagerly, feeling more awake now that Yamato wasn't avoiding me like the plague.

When Kira left to go back to class, I was about to take his advice and head to the nurse's office to see if she would let me miss a few minutes of class to sleep there, but Yamato caught my wrist, tugging me back.

"Yama-chan?" I asked, squinting up at him. It was getting hard to keep my eyes open again.

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Look, I know I was kind of cold to you, and I'm sorry," he said. I opened my mouth to respond, but he lifted his hand to stop me. "No, just let me finish. I was hurt that you picked Kira over me, especially since I've known you a little longer than he has. I only realized what a jerk I was being to you when my partner gave me the music you wrote for me."

I panicked a little, waving my hands and trying to deny his claim.

"No, you don't fool me for one minute, little Shinako," he said, glaring at me half-heartedly. "I know your music when I see it-or should I say, feel it." He gave a little half-smile. "It's good. I'll make sure to honor it with lyrics that are just as good as the composition is." He ruffled my hair, and my brain shut down momentarily before he clapped me on the shoulder, guiding me out into the hallway. "Come on, I'm taking you to the nurse's office to get some sleep."

I sighed, relieved.

"Thanks, Yama-chan," I said, smiling up at him. "You know why I chose Kira, though?" He looked down at me and shook his head a little, so I elaborated. "Because even if you didn't have my song...I knew you'd do great. You always give it your all."

Even through my squinty, tired eyes, I could see him blushing.

"Er...right," he said awkwardly, not making eye contact. "...Thanks, Shinako."

I grinned.

"Aww, Yama-chan! You're so cute when you blush like a red tomato!"

"I'M NOT BLUSHING, DAMN IT!"


	10. nine

**Secret Guardian**

 **-chapter nine-**

* * *

 **A/N:** So apparently this story has 261 views since I started posting late Friday night!? -scouts with binoculars, sees people in the distance, dashing away- AH! WAIT! I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANKS!?

Anyway, this chapter marks the end of part one. Part two starts next chapter. Also, daily updates will end in one or two days, as I'll be back to work then, so it will be more like updates 1-2 times a week, until I have my week off again at the very end of this month/beginning of next month. You can expect more updates during that time, haha.

Anyway. ENJOY!

* * *

I sighed as Shining Saotome, the principal of Saotome Gakuen and president of Shining Entertainment, gave a speech to the new graduates who had passed their graduation audition. I sat, squished between my two friends, Yamato Hyuga and Kira Sumeragi. They had both passed, as well as myself, to no surprise of any of ours. (Or our teachers, if what they said was true.) I leaned an elbow on each of their shoulders casually; at least when we were all seated, they were low enough down for me to do this. I wasn't short, but both of them were taller than me, much to my aggravation.

Maybe what Ai-kun said was right; maybe I did stunt my growth a little with all the coffee I drank. After all, both my parents were tall, my mom being five-foot-ten and my dad being six-foot-three. A lot of people told my mom that if she hadn't become a nurse, she could've become a supermodel. She certainly had the youthful face and tall, slender figure for it. Me, I wasn't naturally slender; it was more because I ran and did equestrian sports in my spare time. Not that I'd had a lot of that since coming here; I could tell I was starting to put on weight the past few months. Now that I was graduated, at least I should be able to have time to get back in shape again.

I refocused just as Saotome was finishing up his speech.

"GO FORRRRRRTH, YOUNG ONES!" he yelled, rolling the 'r'. "SPRRRRREAD YOUR WINGS!"

He then spread his arms, and a pair of monarch butterfly wings sprung out from his back before he took a running leap off the stage, swan diving through a trap door that opened at the last moment.

Yup. Definitely the weirdest person I know.

As everybody started to talk to one another or stand up to leave, Yamato turned to me with a serious look.

"Shinako, it turns out Kira and I both got scouted by Raging Entertainment," he said.

My eyes widened.

"Ah!? The number one entertainment agency? Congratulations, you guys!"

Yamato shrugged it off.

"Yeah, well, when he found out that you composed both of our graduation audition songs, he said he wanted to meet you, too." Yamato looked at me eagerly. "What do you think?"

I looked over at Kira. He was looking at me encouragingly, too. I hesitated. The offer was tempting, but... well...

"I have a meeting with Principal Saotome...er, I guess maybe I should call him President Saotome, now...later today about the possibility of staying on with Shining Entertainment." I gave a half-smile. "I have something I have to ask him first, though, so we'll see what his answer is...if he doesn't give me the answer I want, then I'll come meet with the president of Raging Entertainment right away, okay?" I looped my arms around both of their necks, bringing them in for a hug. "Either way, I don't want us to lose touch, okay!? You guys better not get super famous and forget all about me!"

Yamato scoffed.

"You're too noisy to forget," Kira said.

"AH! Well...ah, damn. I can't even say you're wrong on that one..."

"Shinakoooo! Over here!"

I stood up, looking around for the source of the familiar voice, finally seeing Uncle Jirou, along with my dad and Ai. Unfortunately, my mom got called in for a shift at the last minute this morning. Thankfully my dad remembered to bring the digital camera so there would be lots of pictures for her to look at later when we got home. Such is the life of a health care worker, sigh...

I smiled, waving at my family.

"Hiiii dad, uncle, Ai-kun!"

Yamato raised an eyebrow, and I could see both him and Kira looking at Ai appraisingly.

"So this is the puny best friend, is it?" Yamato said blandly. "Well, looks like you're still going to be punier than your junior, little Shinako."

"AH! How mean! Just because Ai-kun is growing like a bean pole doesn't mean I'm short!"

It was true; twelve years old, and Ai had grown a couple more inches so that the top of his head came up to my nose. He was definitely going to end up being taller than me, much to my distaste...

"Nice to meet you, my name is Mikaze, Ai," the cyan-haired boy introduced himself politely to the two numbskulls on either side of me. "Thank you for taking care of Shinako-nee while she's been at school."

"Who looks after me!? These jerks!?"

My dad laughed at my antics, reaching over to squeeze my shoulder affectionately.

"Now, now, Shinako. Be nice, sweetheart."

"Yeah, Shinako," Yamato said teasingly. Kira and I both rolled our eyes at him in response.

Uncle Jirou stuffed his hands in his lab coat pockets. Seriously, did he wear that thing everywhere!? It didn't escape my notice that it was the one Ai bought him, though. Aww, how sweet. He really does care about the kid.

"Well, I think it's about time we get something to eat to celebrate, before you have that meeting with Shining Saotome," Uncle Jirou suggested, glancing at Yamato and Kira. "Would you two like to come along?"

Yamato and Kira shared a look before Yamato said, "No, we actually have to meet up with President Otori about signing our contracts." Yamato grabbed me a headlock and gave me a quick noogie, making me squawk for him to let go. "See ya around, little Shinako! Don't have too much fun without us!"

Kira raised a hand to pat me on the head, somewhat flattening the puff ball Yamato had surely made my already-messy hair into. "Take care, Shinako-san."

"See you, guys! Remember to keep in touch, alright?" I called out pleasantly after their retreating figures, "Because if you don't I'll hunt you down and roast you alive like the ferocious dragon-beast that I am!"

I could hear them laughing at me. _Rude._ I am totally ferocious, right? ...Right!?

Ai gave a huff of laughter at my antics, grabbing my wrist and leading me back to where I assumed they'd parked the car.

"Come on, we're getting hot pot," he said.

"AWW YES! MY FAVORITE!"

* * *

"Your uncle, Ai, and I will wait for you out here while you meet with Saotome-san," my dad said, giving me an encouraging smile as he clapped me on the shoulder. "Your mom and I are proud of what you've accomplished, sweetheart. Good luck."

The professor echoed my dad's sentiments before glancing over at Ai.

Ai stepped forward and gave me one of his rare hugs. It was all I needed for luck; that and the cyan music note pendant I still wore around my neck every day, including now.

"Do your best, Shinako-nee," he said before stepping back.

I smiled at them all, waving as I headed down the hall to President Saotome's office. I wasn't intimidated by the man thanks to the fact that he was just so easygoing and eccentric, but that didn't mean I wasn't afraid that he would reject my offer. I knew that Saotome was interested in keeping me around. He had actually attended my graduation audition himself (Hyuga-sensei had told me that he had invited the man himself after "witnessing my continued excellence throughout the year"; his words, not mine), and had told me I passed himself without even waiting for a formal marking or anything. I just couldn't help but feel like it might be a little premature to be making demands in order to get me to sign onto his entertainment label. I couldn't wait, though. I knew it was time to get Ai into the spotlight. He was ready. With that in mind, I entered the spacious office.

"Pardon my intrusion," I said with a quick bow.

"Ahhhh, Miss Shinako! Nice to see you," the eccentric man said with a fluorish, flipping his colorful tie over his shoulder. "Now, what was it that yooooou wished to see me about?" He spun around before stopping with one hand on his hip and the other pointing a finger at me. I raised an eyebrow at his actions, but didn't comment on them.

"About your offer for me to join Shining Entertainment, given it's still on the table," I said, checking quickly with him. He nodded in the affirmative, so I continued, "I would love to, but I just have one stipulation."

"Ohhh? And just whaaaaat might that be, Miss Shinako?" he said, twirling the end of his tie in his fingers. I was surprised he didn't accidentally choke himself doing that.

"I want you to make my friend an idol."

His eyebrows raised above his sunglasses. (Seriously, who even wears sunglasses indoors? Such a weird guy... I guess it's true that people don't question rich people being so weird though, they're just considered "eccentric"...)

"And what makes you think I will do that, Miss Shinako?" He asked, totally serious for once.

I held up my hands.

"Before you make a decision, President Saotome, I want you to meet him. I'm sure you'll realize his potential like I have. He's been working towards being an idol for the past several years already."

Saotome inclined his head, signalling for me to go on. I quickly scurried back to the door, cracking it open just enough to snag Ai from where he was leaning against the wall next to the door. Typical Ai. I knew he'd be really close by, wanting to be the first one to know what the verdict was. He yelped a bit when I pulled him into the room, seeming confused about what was happening. I made him bow his head respectfully before the president. Thankfully he got the idea and bowed a little more so I didn't have to force him.

"This is the friend I was talking about, President Saotome."

Saotome had an amused look on his face, and all of a sudden he burst out into loud, raucous laughter. I was a little confused. I didn't really think Ai had a funny face, so what the heck was he laughing at? I shared a confused look with Ai. Was this guy even sane!? Seriously...

"Verrrrry well! I ACCEPT your proposal, Miss Shinako!" He said with a thumbs-up. "HOWEVER! You will take full responsibility if he doesn't live up to the potential you believe he has!"

Ai looked back and forth between Saotome and I, seeming to try and figure out what he was talking about. He seemed to realize after a second, and he opened his mouth (no doubt to object), but I slapped a hand over his mouth and nodded.

"I accept that responsibility," I said, deciding to throw my final wildcard into the ring, wondering if he would even go for it. I had already gotten more than I had really thought I'd get out of Saotome. Maybe one more would be pushing it? I wouldn't know if I didn't try, though... "In return for that, please let me be the composer for his debut CD."

Saotome was silent for a moment before laughing loudly once again.

"You have SPIRIT, Miss Shinako!" He said, clapping his hands together. Confetti burst out of the ceiling, showering us all in the pastel-colored flakes. What the heck!? Like who has confetti rigged to fall from their ceiling at any random time!? "I accept... IF," (Oh, boy. More clauses... but he accepted! It can't be that bad, right?), "you become a famous, in-demand composer in the next year!"

I blinked.

"You mean Ai-kun won't debut for another year? But that's so far away..." I knew he wanted to become an idol as soon as possible. That's why I even added him in my stipulation to signing on with Shining Entertainment in the first place! I thought for sure this would put him on the fast track to becoming an idol... Sigh. Sorry, Ai-kun; guess I thought wrong...

Saotome shrugged noncommittally. "Well, well, well... we don't even know what Mister Mikaze is capable of yet, so we'll have to make sure he's up to the challenge before we throw him a debut! Besides, I want you to work...like your life depends on it!" He struck a majestic pose. "Let's see just what you can do, MISS SHINAKO!"

With that, he flung the windows open, tying one of the curtains around his neck like a cape and somersaulted out the opening.

"Um...we're on the second floor..." I said, not really wanting to see what had happened to the president. Ai went over to the window to look, instead.

"Ah. There's a trampoline there."

I groaned, messing my hair up with both hands.

"A year!?" I all but shouted. "Give me a break! You're totally ready to make your debut now, you've been training for years already!"

Ai pulled my hands down from where they were threatening to pull my hair out at the root, holding my wrists by my sides. He gave me a gentle look.

"You didn't have to do that for me, Shinako-nee. I would have found some other way on my own," he said, but I could tell that behind the words was an unspoken _thank you._

I smiled a little.

"Well, now you don't have to," I said, slinging an arm around his shoulders and guiding him back out of the office. "Besides, now we'll be working together..." I almost started crying at this point. I'm a bit of a drama queen, "...in a _whole year_ from now... Ugh, Ai-kuuuun, how am I going to do this..."

Ai laughed, shaking his head.

"You'll get through it, just like you always do," he said. "Do your best, Shinako-nee."

" _Uwaaaa_..."

* * *

 **PART I - FIN**


	11. PART II: ten

**Secret Guardian**

 **PART II**

 **-chaper ten-**

* * *

 **A/N:** Annnd we're back with the start of part two, and the longest chapter yet!

Also, as you may have noticed, I edited the story summary...it's official, this story will eventually be Ai/OC. Probably more towards part three. You'll see the start of a shift in perception between Ai and Shinako starting in this chapter though. :)

ALSO! The song in here is excerpts of the English translation of "Kimi no Kioku" from Persona 3. If you want the version I was drawing from for this, watch the live version performed by Kana Asumi and Shouta Aoi.

* * *

"AI-KUUUUUN! I'M BAAAAACK!"

"Ah. Welcome back, Shinako-nee," Ai said, sitting at his keyboard with the synthesizer hooked up. He took off the noise-canceling headphones he had over his ears, placing them around his neck instead for the time being. "I thought you were going to be recording with Sumeragi-san for another day or two."

I shrugged, tossing my messenger bag down by the door. It was true, I had been recording with Kira for the past couple weeks in preparation for his new single CD that was going to be released next month. I had finally gotten to meet Raging Otori, the president of Raging Entertainment. He was...a pretty harsh guy, but he seemed to like the song I composed for Kira, and even requested that I play the guitar parts in the recording. It was a bit of a surprise, really, since usually such entertainment labels would take the composition and sign on professional musicians to play the parts in the recordings. While I was quite good at the guitar, I hadn't trained to be a professional musician; I was a composer through-and-through. What Raging Otori wanted, though, Raging Otori got, so I ended up sitting in on the recording sessions and giving my critique. (Upon President Otori's request, that is; I wouldn't have spoken up if he hadn't asked. He's intimidating, okay!?)

At the end of today, President Otori had asked me if I was _really_ sure I wouldn't switch labels and come work for him?

I declined his request, of course. There was Ai to think of, now that a year had flown by and I had _finally_ gotten the okay from President Saotome to start working on Ai's debut CD once I was done recording with Kira.

Plus, have I mentioned that Raging Otori is a little scary? Compared to him, I would take President Saotome's off-the-wall behavior any day...

"I got done recording a little early. I may or may not have sped things up a little with my commentary..."

It was true. President Otori had complimented me on my good ear for the little things that I had picked up on while listening to the other musicians, and tweaked in order to give the best result as quick as possible. It was pretty easy critiquing other people when they think it's actually their boss that's doing it... ehehe...

Ai laughed.

"Typical."

"H-Hey! What's that supposed to mean, huh!?"

Ai just shook his head, taking his headphones off completely and placing them on top of the keyboard before switching it off. He went over to his bed and patted it, inviting me to come sit next to him. I grinned, instead doing a belly-flop on the mattress before rolling over onto my back, resting my hands on my stomach and kicking my legs back and forth.

"So... President Saotome gave me the go-ahead to start composing the songs for your debut CD." I grinned goofily. I really couldn't wait to get it all together. If I had it my way, we'd have it all recorded and out to the market by the end of the week, but I knew realistically there was no way that was going to happen. The entertainment label had to build hype (though, since Ai had recently started modeling as a way to start getting his name out and had gained a lot of followers already, it wouldn't be too hard), and unfortunately I was not about to pull a seven-day streak with no sleep. I would probably go insane by about the third day in if I did that; I liked sleep way too much for that.

Ai smiled a little.

"So in other words, you've already got them all made."

I grinned and winked at him.

"Of course, Ai-kun! Was there ever any doubt?"

"Not for you, you workaholic."

"I am not a workaholic! I am merely a slave to the muses. I can't help it if I'm inspired," I said flippantly, rolling back over onto my stomach and burying my face in the blanket. "Okay, wake me when it's time to eat."

"No."

"But I'm tired, Ai-kun! Let me sleeeeep."

"Not here," Ai said, poking my cheek to deter me from sleeping.

"Grrrrr. I'll bite that finger."

"You'll just end up hurting your teeth."

Oh, right...yeah, that could've ended poorly, biting a robot...gah. I had been around Ai for so long that I had started to forget from time to time that he was really an A.I. He acted so...not robotic. Did that even make sense? It did in my brain, at least...

I sighed dramatically before heaving myself up to a sitting position.

"Fine, I won't sleep just yet." I stood up, going over and grabbing my messenger bag from where I had tossed it on the floor. I fished inside for a portfolio full of music sheets and handed it to Ai, who took it carefully, as though it were something fragile and precious. I sat back down beside him, watching him peruse the sheets.

"This last one..." he picked out the sheets for the final song. "I really like it."

I smiled. "Oh? Me, too. You have a good eye."

He glanced between the sheets and me. "Can I ask what you were thinking about when you wrote it?"

I bit the inside of my cheek, staring at the sheets rather than meeting his gaze as I said, "Our friendship." Ai was silent for a moment, and I dared to peek over at him, only to find a gentle smile on his face as he stared at the sheets in front of him.

"No wonder," he said softly. "...It's beautiful."

I could feel my face heat up.

"S-Stupid! Don't underestimate me!" I said, shooting up from the bed and taking my messenger bag with me. "I'm gonna go...grab some food for us. You better get to work on making those lyrics while I'm gone, okay!?"

Ai blinked at me, but I was out the door before he could respond or comment on my undoubtedly beet-red face.

 _Gah! Why did he have to go and say something so sappy?_ I thought, my brain overworking itself trying to figure out why the heck I had responded to his words in such a way. _And why the hell am I so affected by it!? It's just Ai-kun..._

Just Ai-kun? Well, true, he was a couple years younger than me, but he was starting to noticeably grow up now. At thirteen years old, three years younger than my sixteen-year-old self, he had shot up to just over my height of five-foot-seven, not quite reaching five-foot-eight. He liked to lord it over me by standing directly in front of me and making a point of staring at the middle of my forehead since we weren't quite on eye level with each other anymore. _What a brat._ He still had his cute voice, and I had to wonder if it would always be like that. Ai-nii had had the same voice, of course, so I figured he probably would.

 _Ai-nii..._ It had been a while since I thought of him. The thought made me feel bad. Of course, it was because I'd been so busy over the past year, taking every job I could get my hands on, from composing for dramas, to anime theme songs, to singles for up-and-coming idols like Kira. I didn't think it excused the fact that I had all but forgotten my older brother figure, though, in the scheme of things. I bit the inside of my cheek in thought. I still had never visited him in the hospital, in all this time. The professor said he had never shown any signs of waking up yet, though, and he visited Ai-nii often. It made me wonder if, even with Ai-kun doing idol work now, he might never wake up.

Maybe it was time for me to get some closure. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I still had a lot of work to do with Ai right now. I resolved that I would go and see Ai-nii after we had finished his debut CD.

It was about time, after all.

-o-

Ai worked hard over the next few days to put lyrics to the music that I had given him. I was impressed with his hard work and determination, and by the end of the week, he brought all of the songs to me with completed lyrics. If I hadn't been making sure that he ate and slept myself, I wouldn't have believed that he had been able to accomplish all of that in such short a time while actually managing to take care of himself.

 _He truly is a song-writing machine..._

I laughed a little to myself at the thought. Get it? Song-writing machine? Ugh, sorry I'm so lame...

Either way, I was impressed with the quality of the lyrics. I leafed through them slowly. The first three were pop/rock songs, the next two were more soft pop, and then the final song I had two different possible arrangements in mind for. I could either take it a more pop route and give it a rolling beat and some electric guitar, or I could go the opposite way, slow it down, and give it a full-orchestra treatment. I would have to ask Ai which route he would prefer to go.

Speaking of... I placed the sheets down on the table in front of me, looking across where Ai sat, looking at me expectantly. I smiled.

"As expected, they're all excellent," I said. "Now, I have a question about the last song, because there are two different ways I think we could take it." I explained the two different ideas I had to him.

"Let's slow it down," he said. "It will be the last track of the CD, after all, so it will end it nicely that way." He smiled a little. "It'll go out with a bang."

I nodded. "Alright. We'll give it a nice, full sound. I think we can get enough musicians together for it-"

"No."

"Eh?" I looked at him, confused. "But you just said you wanted to-"

"I want this track to be recorded by only you and me."

"Bu-but...that's going to take a really long time, then..."

Ai shrugged. "It's the principle of the thing."

I stared at him for a long moment before sighing, my shoulders slumping in resignation. There was no winning with Ai when he had his mind set on something. I'd learned that a long time ago. Stubborn brat.

"Fine. We'll do it your way. It is your CD, after all."

Ai nodded, reaching over to pat my hand. I looked up at him to find him smiling again.

"Thank you, Shinako-nee. I know it'll be great."

Yes, of course it will be. If I don't die during recording first, that is... Ugh...

-o-

"Ai-kun, why are you making me do this again?" I complained. I was decidedly not happy with the way things had turned out. "I already went with your whims and made this track with only you and I doing the instrumentation, which, by the way took forever, just like I said it would. So why..." I trailed off, staring at the microphone in my face like it would reach out and bite me if I got too close.

"Why do I have to SING!?"

Ai sighed, adjusting the microphone a tiny bit lower, seeing as he had been using it before to put some of the backing vocals on.

 _Show-off._

"I told you already. I want a fuller sound for this song, so I want you to sing as well so we can double the vocals." He tugged on a strand of my hair, making me frown in annoyance. "You'll do fine. You'll be able to put all those years of voice lessons to good use, for once."

"But I don't want to..." I whined.

Ai gave my hair another tug, and I squawked in protest. He laughed and shook his head, heading out of the sound booth so he could start the recording.

"Do your best, Shinako-nee," he said before closing the door.

I gave a shaky sigh, staring at the lyrics sheets in front of me as I put my headphones in. I saw Ai give the signal that we were going to start, and I heard the backing tracks start to play through the headphones, carefully counting down until the point where I would come in. At least I had lyrics that I felt I could sing with my whole heart. When I had read the lyrics Ai had written to the song, it felt like our feelings had connected through the music. I had written the music thinking about the friendship we had had through the past few years, and the lyrics reflected it perfectly. It was like we had come to a whole new understanding of each other. I smiled, taking a breath as my cue came up.

" _You protected this fragile and flickering world with your hands_

 _So may you simply fold your wings and rest at ease now_

 _Surrounded by an eternal peace and love through all eternity_

 _May you rest in my hands as I tenderly watch over you_

 _I remember how you smiled and cried and raged_

 _I'll never, ever forget about you, until my life is exhausted_ "

I sang softly at first, my voice growing slightly louder from the emotion I poured into it. There was no way I was doing this half-way. I had been listening to Ai's recordings, after all, and in order for my recordings to be good enough to match his, I had to at least match whatever he put into it. He had been putting everything he had into this CD, and in specific this song, so I would put my all into it as well. May the muses smile upon my subpar performance, hah.

" _In those bright and shining moments when I was together with everyone_

 _I spent the time unaware that they were irreplaceable_

 _Now I just try to reminisce about them dearly, and I will embrace the feeling_

 _You were definitely by my side back then_

 _You were right next to me all the time, all the time, all the time, smiling_

 _Even if I lose you, I'll get you back, I will never leave you_ "

As the last line ended, I opened my eyes. I had ended up closing them so I could focus on the instruments and the emotion in my voice. It helped to think of Ai and the feelings he had obviously poured into these lyrics. I couldn't help but mentally scoff at the idea that he had denied having emotions so many times. If he didn't have emotions, how could he possibly have ever created something as beautiful and moving as these words? Well, lately he had been saying more that he didn't understand emotions, rather than that he didn't have them. It made me think that maybe he was finally beginning to recognize that he did feel things after all, and the thought made me happy. Ai was becoming more and more of his own person every day.

I quickly dropped my hand when I realized I had been unconsciously reaching it out while I was singing. Whoops? Oh well, that just meant that I was focusing fully on the music that I hadn't minded whatever my body was doing. Ai smiled from the other side of the glass, where he was sitting at the recording desk, and gave a thumbs-up. I nodded in response, holding up two fingers to show that I wanted to do the recording twice more. It had become pretty standard for us to do three takes of every recording, even if the first one sounded amazing, just in case we found some small mistakes later when we were editing the tracks.

Before I knew it, the recording was over, and I was stepping out of the sound booth to take a listen to what we had put together so far. Ai added the first take of my vocals in with the rest of the tracks we'd already layered for the full orchestra sound, along with Ai's main and backing vocals. As we both listened to the complete, but unedited, product, I was blown away by the way our voices combined to convey a wealth of emotion. It was...almost a little much. My eyes grew hot and I realized belatedly that I was crying. I gave a watery laugh at Ai's startled expression as he saw the tear tracks on my cheeks.

"Don't worry, Ai-kun. These are happy tears," I said. "Your music just really touched me."

"It's your music too, Shinako-nee," he said, confused. "It belongs to both of us."

I shrugged noncommittally.

Ai turned back to the monitor.

"I don't want to edit it. I want to leave it as is."

"As you wish, Ai-kun."

-o-

I was just coming back to the dorm with food from a nearby restaurant that I intended to share with Ai when I got a feeling like I was being watched. My brow furrowed, and I quickly looked around, trying to spot anything out of the ordinary.

" _Miss Shinakooooo_..."

"ARGHHH!" I said, slapping a hand over the ear that had just been whispered into really creepily. I whirled around, glaring at the accuser. "P-President Saotome!" I gave him a short bow, but was gritting my teeth to keep from yelling at him. I just about dropped my food when he did that!

"I listened to Mister Mikaze's debut CD, and it was..." he paused dramatically, his sunglasses gleaming even though we were indoors, and there was no sun to catch on the reflective surface. "TOP-NOTCH! I got shivers just from listening to it, especially that last song! It was like both of your feelings reached out and squeezed my HEARRRRRT!" He spun around with a blush on his cheeks, hugging himself. I gave him a bit of a weird look at that. He then coughed into his hand, as though he were embarrassed, even though really he pulled stunts like that all the time, so it didn't make a difference to me. He then pointed a finger in my face, and I nearly went cross-eyed staring at it.

"I HAVE DECIDED!" He declared, grinning broadly. "After listening to your outstanding performance on that track, you, Miss Shinako...shall become...AN IDOL!"

" **I refuse**."

Saotome looked shocked, as though he had never expected he would be denied. I didn't give him a chance to try and convince me otherwise as I explained my refusal to him.

"President Saotome, I never would have even become a composer in the first place if it weren't for the fact that I wanted to work with Ai." It was true; although I loved music, I had been a very practical child and had thought that there would be such a tiny chance of ever becoming successful in the music industry that I had decided to just become a teacher like my dad rather than try and get into the entertainment industry, before I made my promise to the professor. I didn't have a strong enough stomach to become a nurse like my mom, after all. "I get terrible stage fright, which is why I'd never even do well as an accompanying musician for idols. I'm a decent enough singer because of the lessons I took over the years, but I'm very awkward around new people, which is a terrible trait to have in an idol. Around the people I do know, I'm loud and annoying, and enjoy getting on people's nerves." I frowned. "None of that sounds idol-worthy to me. Add to that the fact that I don't actually _want_ to be an idol, and you'll see that it's just a lost cause, President Saotome." Hopefully that would deter him enough that he would drop the subject forever. I didn't really hold out hope for it, though. He was like Ai in the fact that once he set his mind to something, he would get it, no matter what. I just didn't want that happening with me.

I really, _really_ didn't want to be an idol.

Really.

"Verrrrry well, Miss Shinako," he said, his sunglasses gleaming again. I was starting to think they gleamed whenever he was secretly plotting something. The thought was a little disturbing, because I noticed his sunglasses gleamed quite a bit... Maybe it was just me? Well, wishful thinking... "I suppose you aren't interested in the group that I'm thinking of putting together that includes your friend Mister Mikaze, in order to boost the reception of his debut CD, then..." With that, he twirled away down the hallway before I could even process what he'd just said.

"AH! W-wait, President Saotome!" I said, holding a hand out after him, though he made no sign of stopping as he skipped and spun away. I wilted a little. "At least tell me what the project is about before you leave me hanging like that..." I sighed. There really was no winning, with that guy. Shaking my head, I continued on my way to Ai's room. Maybe he could tell me something about this project Saotome was going on about?

When I got to Ai's room, he welcomed me in, having poured some tea for us already to have with our meal. _How thoughtful..._

"Hm?" Ai said, looking a little surprised when I asked him about what Saotome had been talking about. "Oh, you mean the idol group he's putting together? Quartet Night, I believe he called it..."

I hummed in interest. A new challenge had arrived, and I was more than ready for it.

Tomorrow, I resolved, I would ask President Saotome to let me be Quartet Night's composer.

After all, I thought, the only person suited to write Ai's songs...was _me_.


	12. eleven

**Secret Guardian**

 **-chapter eleven-**

* * *

 **A/N:** Enter: Quartet Night! Ahhh I'm so happy to be writing the group now! I hope I keep everyone suitably in-character.

Also, there may be some minor Quartet Night x Shinako contents starting now (mostly because Reiji is a bit of a flirt)...and the rating has gone up to T, just to be safe, for mild language.

* * *

So here we are, come full circle at last. It was the next day, and after a quick breakfast of toast and coffee, I headed over to President Saotome's office. I hesitated outside the doors momentarily, gathering my wits about me for what I was about to request. I remembered the last time I requested things of him, and it made me a little more confident that he wouldn't just blow me off. He seemed to like my confidence when it came to asking for such big things as this, so I took a deep breath and knocked, pushing the door open when he called for me to come in.

I wasted no time in bowing and making my request, not even giving either of us time to greet one another.

"Boss! Please allow me to become Quartet Night's sole composer!"

I could feel Shining Saotome's surprised gaze on me despite the fact that I was bowed so deeply at the waist that I could only stare at the floor. My hands clenched into fists at my sides as I trembled slightly from the fear of inevitable rejection. This wasn't the first time I had asked to work with the one person I took it upon myself to care for as a parent or older sibling might, but it was the first time I had asked to include others in my request.

Saotome burst out into loud, boisterous laughter, and I dared to peek up between my dual-colored bangs to see him spinning in his office chair with a cheesy grin on his face. He stopped suddenly, slamming his hands down on his desk, and I jumped back at the loud noise, straightening from my bow.

"MISS SHINAKO!" he yelled, pointing a finger in my face.

 _Rude._ If this guy weren't my boss, I swear...

"You are a brrrriiiiight composer, Miss Shinako. Therefore, I will accept your request!"

I have a feeling that isn't the end of it, though. This is Shining Saotome we're talking about, after all...

"BUT!"

Ah. Here we go.

"First, you must meet my challenge... You must convince Quartet Night to accept you as their composer by your own power!"

"EH!?"

Crap on a cracker! You mean I have to actually be likeable!? I don't relate well to people! Saotome knows that! (I did just tell him that yesterday, after all...)

"Boss..." I said, feeling a dark aura emanate from me at the fact that he had challenged me to such a thing. I could foresee this going very poorly, but...

I made a promise. A promise that I intend to keep. My aura went from dark to downright gloomy at the realization that there was no choice but to face this challenge head-on.

"...I accept."

Saotome laughed loudly once again, clapping his hands together.

"BRRRRRAVOOOO! I look forward to seeing your full power...Miss Shinako!"

With that, I left the madman laughing to himself in his office, spinning around in his chair so quickly it was a wonder he didn't throw up.

My brows furrowed in thought as I walked back to the dorm. I had to figure out the quickest way to get Quartet Night gathered so that I could give them my proposition. They probably wouldn't listen to a complete stranger, so I would have to think of some other way to get them to gather...

"Ai-kuuuun!"

I flung open the door to his dorm room, knowing he would be up by now.

"I need your help with s-OH GOD, MY EYES!"

I quickly turned around, slapping my hands over my eyes. I totally did not just see Ai without a shirt on. Nope. Nuh-uh. I will deny it until the day I die. My cheeks were probably flaming red at that point.

"I believe this is a perfect example of why I always tell you to knock, Shinako-nee."

"Uh...kind of figured that out already!"

I felt Ai pat my head, and I tentatively peeked out from behind my fingers to find that he was, thankfully, wearing a shirt now. He had a towel slung over his head, having obviously just stepped out of the shower, seeing as his hair was still wet. I admired his cyan hair. I wished mine were a more interesting color than just brown, but even though I'd put the cyan streaks in my bangs, I wasn't quite brave enough-or devoted enough-to dye my hair such a bright color. I figured it would take a lot of maintenance that I wasn't sure I'd have the time or energy to commit to it.

"What was it you were saying you need my help with, Shinako-nee?" Ai said, squeezing the water out of his hair with the towel.

"Hm?" I said, having been distracted by his actions. "...Oh, yeah. I was wondering if you could tell me who else President Saotome intends to be in Quartet Night with you. I want to call them together so I can meet them in person and talk to them about something important."

Ai gave me a knowing look.

"You asked to become Quartet Night's composer, didn't you," he said, phrasing it more like a statement than a question.

"Eh-! How'd you know that!?"

Ai shrugged. "The likelihood of that being your reason for wishing to meet the group was ninety-two percent."

"That high!?"

He huffed a laugh. "You're more predictable than you might realize, Shinako-nee."

I frowned. Well, it was more of a pout, if I'm being honest with myself.

"Never mind that. Just tell me who's in the group with you," I said, feeling a little insulted that he thought I was so predictable. Next time we get take-out, I'm getting something totally different from my usual order! I can so be unpredictable. Take that, Ai!

"Hmm..." He tapped his chin, as though he was trying to remember. I had no doubt he would. He just had to sort the information in his computer brain first. "...Ranmaru Kurosaki, Reiji Kotobuki, and...Camus. No last name."

My heart gave a little lurch at the name 'Reiji Kotobuki'. I remembered Aine saying he was his best friend, and I had even met him once, a few months before Aine's incident. I sincerely hoped he wouldn't recognize me. There was no way that I would be able to answer any questions he might have. At least my image had changed quite a bit since then; I'd changed my hairstyle, and I'd actually grown into a young woman rather than the awkward pre-teen I'd been back then. At sixteen years old, I was almost a grown-up already. (Not that I figured I was going to grow anymore. It seemed I really had hit my peak height when I hit five-foot-seven, after all. Curse my long-term affair with coffee...)

"Ah...thanks, Ai-kun," I said, trying to smooth out my expression. Good thing he hadn't been looking at me when he told me the names, or he would have known something was off and would have questioned me about it. As it was, he was busy typing something on his phone.

"There, I messaged you their room numbers so you can greet them, if you want." He tucked his phone away in a pocket and headed back towards the bathroom. "I need to brush my teeth yet, just message me when you've set up a meeting time."

"Right!" I said, checking my phone after it gave a muted chime in my pocket. Sure enough, there were the room numbers in an orderly list, organized in order of whose room was closest. I rolled my eyes at his neat and tidy habits. He was the exact opposite of me in that way.

Looking at the list, I saw it was the oddball with no last name whose room was closest. I jogged over to his room, grateful for the exercise. I had been busy the past year, but at least I had the time to get back into running again. The Master Class dorm had a stable out back, but since I didn't have my own horse, I figured it would be rude to ask whoever kept their horse there if I could ride it. Not that I knew whose it was, even. I slowed as I reached the door I needed, double-checking my phone just to make sure I did in fact have the right one. Nodding to myself, I tapped out the usual rhythmic knock that I used whenever I actually bothered to knock.

 _One...two-three...four._

There was a rustling from within, and a moment's pause before the door swung open, revealing a tall, finely-dressed man with long hair that was a strange sort of dark blond that almost had a bluish tint to it. I stared curiously at it before realizing he was giving me an unimpressed look with one eyebrow raised in question.

"S-Sorry," I said, my cheeks heating up a bit in embarrassment at being caught staring. I bowed a little. "President Saotome has requested a meeting of Quartet Night, in one hour at the lounge area," I said, the little white lie springing easily from my tongue. Well, Saotome may not have requested it personally, but he did tell me to convince them myself; he didn't say that I couldn't use his name when it came to doing so...

Camus nodded a little.

"I will be there," he said coolly, before stepping back and shutting the door, not allowing for any more conversation.

 _Cold and intimidating..._ Those were the first words that popped into my mind to describe him. Seriously, he must have a separate public face if he's actually considered a full-fledged idol. Otherwise, who would be willing to work with such a closed-off guy? Shaking my head, I began jogging towards my next destination. _Next up, Ranmaru Kurosaki._

I tapped out the rhythmic knock again, waiting a while, in which my knock went unanswered. _Maybe he's got headphones on?_ I thought, knocking again, a little louder this time. This time I heard shuffling and the door swung open to reveal the silver-haired rock star. His one purple eye was a little distracting, I thought. I wondered if it was natural or just an idol aesthetic. Probably the latter, seeing as I didn't personally know anyone with purple eyes. Then again, stranger things have happened...

"What is it?" Ranmaru asked, rather rudely, if you ask me.

I stood a little straighter at that.

"President Saotome has requested a meeting for Quartet Night in one hour at the lounge area," I said, regurgitating the story I'd given Camus.

"Hah!?" He looked annoyed. "Such short notice, that's rather inconsiderate of our schedules..."

I gave a quick bow and held up my hands as though to say 'don't shoot the messenger'. "S-Sorry...but it can't be helped..."

"Tch," he scoffed, stepping back into his room. "Whatever. I'll be there."

And again with getting the door shut in my face! I mean, at least they agreed to my request, but still. So rude! I could tell it wouldn't be an easy task getting these guys to work with me. If Reiji was anything like I remembered, though, then at least he should be willing to go with my plan. And Ai, as usual, would back me up. Hopefully that would be enough to get Ranmaru and Camus to accept my offer. If not, I'd have to sway over at least one of the remaining two in order to get my way. I sighed, jogging over to the final room that I needed, though I hesitated for a moment before raising my hand to the wood. I took a deep, steadying breath, making sure to make my expression blank so I wouldn't look anxious or like I might recognize the person behind the door. Once I felt sufficiently calm, I tapped out my rhythmic knock once again.

"Coming!" came a vaguely familiar voice as there was the sound of shuffling making its way towards the door. I clasped my hands behind my back, taking another deep breath as I felt my heart beat a little quicker in anticipation.

The door swung open to reveal a handsome young man with layered, wavy brown hair.

Yup. This was the Reiji Kotobuki I had met all those years ago. Unlike me, he hadn't changed a bit.

"Oh? Hello, cutie!" He grinned. "What's a pretty girl like you doing here?"

My cheeks heated up a bit. It was rather unusual for me to hear comments like that. Usually people thought me to look more boyish than pretty, due to my choice of hairstyle.

"Er...President Saotome would like Quartet Night to meet in one hour in the lounge area," I said, almost stumbling over my words. It was harder to lie when I was feeling flustered.

"Oh? A meeting, is it?" Reiji grinned, patting me on the head. I froze. All these years, and I _still_ didn't like people touching my head. It was one thing that still reminded me strongly of Aine. "Thanks for the message, cutie!" He then looked at me with a curious gaze. "Say...do I know you from somewhere?"

My eyes widened.

"I d-don't think so," I said, feeling my cheeks grow hotter. I was probably red as a tomato by that point. "I'd remember meeting a casanova like you!" I squeaked out, before hurrying off down the hall. I heard him laughing behind me as I hurried off to stop by my room to grab some things before the meeting.

That was one thing about him that had changed since last time I met him... Last time, he wasn't such a giant, goddamn _flirt!_

* * *

I wrung my hands as I stood by the piano tucked in the back corner of the room, next to the large picture windows overlooking the grounds. It was five minutes until the set meeting time. Ai had already arrived and was sitting comfortably on one of the couches in the middle of the room, typing notes for a song idea he was playing with on his phone. As such, I was trying not to interrupt his train of thought, but the silence was making me nervous for the impending meeting with the rest of Quartet Night. They'd soon realize I deceived them, and I wasn't sure how they'd react to that.

Probably poorly.

Reiji was the next one to walk in, and he greeted me with a wink and a wave. He greeted Ai, calling him "Ai-Ai", of all things (I just about choked on my coffee at that), though something about the smile he gave Ai was...off. It seemed almost...uncertain? It would make sense, of course, that he looked at Ai and saw his missing best friend. I felt bad for the guy, being so out of the loop, but it wasn't my place to spill the professor's or Aine's secrets. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from commenting. Reiji flopped on the same couch as Ai, though at the opposite end, leaving a space between the two of them.

Camus was next to arrive, and he just nodded at the three of us, despite the chipper greeting he got from Reiji. He sat in an armchair adjacent to the couch Reiji and Ai sat on.

I checked the clock. It was already the time I had given the guys to meet-ten o'clock in the morning-but Ranmaru hadn't arrived yet. I frowned, and was just about to ask if any of them could text the spiky-haired idol, when said idol strode through the doors, looking like he hadn't a care in the world. I glanced again at the clock. _Ten-oh-one._ Look out, everybody, we've got a real badass over here. I rolled my eyes.

Ranmaru took the armchair opposite of Camus', sprawling out in it sideways, with his legs swinging over the side.

 _He certainly made himself comfortable quickly_.

I clapped my hands, gaining their attention.

"Alright, now that we're all here," I said, raising an eyebrow at Ranmaru, who just gave me the stink-eye in return, "let's start the meeting."

"I thought you said Saotome called the meeting," Ranmaru growled.

I smiled cutely.

"I lied!"

" _Che!_ Damn woman...if that's the case, I have no reason to be here," he said, swinging his legs over to stand up from his seat. I strode over and grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to sit back down. I'm sure the only reason I succeeded in doing so was because I surprised him. He looked at me, wide-eyed, before glaring.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!?"

"Ranmaru," Ai said icily. "Kindly shut up."

I smiled at him.

"Thanks Ai-kun, but I think I can handle this," I said, not wanting him to fight my battles for me. I set my hands on my hips, glaring down Ranmaru as he gripped the arms of the chair, threatening to rip the upholstery. _Tsk, tsk. Such a violent temper_. "Kurosaki-san, I only need five minutes of your valuable time. I brought you all here," at this, I eyed the other members as well, "because I made a request to President Saotome for him to allow me to be the composer for Quartet Night."

Reiji looked pleasantly surprised (the flirt; probably just thinking he'd enjoy having a girl around to tease), Camus raised an eyebrow, Ai made no reaction seeing as he already knew about my request, but Ranmaru growled, gnashing his teeth together. He looked like he was getting ready to tear me a new one, so I reached over...and pinched his lips together.

"Ah, ah, Kurosaki-san. Let me finish."

He slapped my hand away, glaring, but said nothing. I could hear him grinding his teeth together still.

"President Saotome told me I had to convince you all by my own power to let me be your composer. So, I apologize for deceiving you in order to get you all here, but I suck when it comes to convincing people with words, so the only way I could think of to convince you...was to show you my music." I bowed to the group. "Please listen to my song."

I walked over to the piano, sliding into the seat, and took a deep breath before playing an upbeat, somewhat dark and seductive tune. It reached out to the listener and whispered for them to _come closer, come closer..._ It didn't have lyrics yet, but I had faith that established idols like them could work that out without any issue. A smirk formed on my lips as the song drew to a close, and my fingers hit the last chord. I took a breath and looked up, finding three pairs of curious eyes and one pair that held a begrudging respect. I grinned.

"So?"

"Ahh, who knew the cutie was so talented?" Reiji grinned, reaching over to pinch my cheek a little. I grimaced, slapping his hand away. "What's your name, anyway, cutie-chan?"

"Shinako Mura. Call me Shinako, though," I said, bowing my head a bit. "It's nice to...officially...meet you all."

Camus hummed a bit. "It's an interesting piece. I believe it could work for us, with the right arrangement," he conceded.

Reiji nodded fervently, like he was really looking forward to it, while Ai just gave a single nod.

"Good job," Ai said simply. I grinned at his praise. That just left one last straggler...

" _Che_ ," Ranmaru scoffed, folding his arms over his chest. "Just because you write decent music doesn't mean we'll get along."

I raised my eyebrows at that.

"Kurosaki-san, as long as you agree to sing my songs, I don't care if you like me or not. My music can speak for itself."

He stared at me weirdly for a moment before giving a slow nod.

"Alright, then. I guess."

I gave a cheer.

"ALRIGHT! You guys won't regret this, I promise!"

"I'm already regretting it, woman! Shatter my eardrums, why don't you!?"

"Oh hush, Ran-chan!"

"OY! WHO SAID YOU COULD CALL ME THAT!?"


	13. twelve

**A/N:** Gah! I'm so sorry to those of you following this story, this took two weeks rather than one as I figured would be my update frequency. Work has been crazy and I've been picking up a lot of extra shifts to compensate for my upcoming vacation in December. Forgive me? -gleep-

Either way, hope you enjoy the chapter. Not too much happening here; there's some Reiji time, and a twist at the end...things will get more interesting next chapter! ;)

* * *

 **Secret Guardian**

 **-chapter twelve-**

* * *

Quartet Night had released the single that I had written for them-"Poison Kiss," as Reiji had insisted it be called. It was an overnight sensation, and as a result, Quartet Night had been getting a number of requests for interviews and photoshoots. I was currently reading a music magazine that they had accepted an interview with the other day, curled up in an armchair in the lounge area as I read it eagerly.

 _Interviewer: So, your group is called Quartet Night, correct?_

 _Kotobuki: That is correct! Haha, most of us have been idols for some time now, but Ai-Ai, our cute junior, is just about to make his debut on his own._

 _Interviewer: Oh, is that so! Mikaze-san, can you tell us a bit about yourself? I'm sure your fans would love to hear more about you!_

 _Mikaze: There's not much to tell, really. I've been training for the past five years to be an idol, and I'm finally getting my chance to spread my wings, as it were._

 _Interviewer: Is there any reason in particular that you wanted to become an idol?_

 _Mikaze: Well, in the start, I didn't really have a motivation, per say. To start it just seemed like I was supposed to become an idol, and so I worked hard to do that, but over the years I've come to look up to a friend of mine who is also in the music industry. I would like to be able to sing songs from the heart like they do._

 _Interviewer: That's really beautiful, Mikaze-san! When do you think your CD will be released?_

 _Mikaze: It's set to be released on January 1, so about a month from now._

 _Interviewer: I'll be sure to buy it! Thank you all for your time!_

 _Camus: Thank you for having us, my lady._

I grinned as I finished reading the interview. Reiji had conveniently steered it towards the topic of Ai's upcoming debut, getting the word out about the CD so that people would be anticipating its release. I realized with no small amount of excitement that it was set to be released on my birthday. Well, at least I knew what to hint for my parents to buy for me... I flipped over the page, looking for the Quartet Night photoshoot that the magazine cover had also said was included in the issue. I took one look at the picture on the next page, felt my face turn beet red, and chucked the magazine away from me as though it burned me.

"GAH!"

I pulled the hood of my sweater over my head, pulling the drawstrings so my face was completely covered as I curled into a ball of embarrassment.

 _Urgh...did not want to see my co-workers like that..._

Okay, you're probably wondering what the heck I'm going on about. Let's just say that there was a two-page spread of all the members of Quartet Night...shirtless...with low-rise jeans.

Yup, now you know the reason for my dramatic reaction.

"Yo, cutie!" I heard, feeling someone pat the top of my head through my hoodie. It was pretty obvious who it was, despite the fact that I couldn't see anything right now. "When did you turn into a turtle?"

I shoved my hood back off of my head, not caring that my hair was probably sticking up in every direction right now. I frowned up at Reiji.

"Don't pat the top of my head. You're not that much taller than me."

He shrugged. "An inch is an inch, either way you look at it!"

Okay, my mind just went to a dirty place, I admit... I snickered.

"Ah...what are you laughing at, missy?" He said, confused. It just made me laugh harder. He frowned that I wouldn't let him in on the joke, but walked over to the couch, where the magazine I had thrown had landed, still open to the two-page spread of Quartet Night in all their shirtless glory.

"Oho?" Reiji said, grinning mischievously at me. "Is this by any chance what made you turn into a turtle?"

I could feel my face heating up again.

"Sh-Shut up, you casanova! I was just reading the interview, and that photo just...surprised me, that's all!"

"Hmm? So you don't think it's...hot?" He grinned impishly, shoving the photo spread in my face and making my cheeks burn hotter.

"N...nooooo," I whined, pulling my hood back over my head and burying my face in my arms. "Stop bugging me, Rei-chan!"

"Aww, but it's so much fun," Reiji pouted. I heard a _puff_ as he flopped down on the couch next to the chair I was sitting in. I tentatively peeked up, only to see him reading the magazine. It looked like he was on the page with the interview. When he came to a certain part, he glanced curiously up at me. I resisted the urge to hide inside my hood again. For now.

"So what's this I hear about you doing a duet on Ai-Ai's debut CD?" he asked, laying the magazine down on his lap and propping his chin in his hand as he leaned towards me in interest.

"Well...it's not like I asked him to," I said awkwardly. "He was the one that asked me to record the vocal tracks for it."

"No, no, that's not what I was asking about," he said, clarifying, "I was wondering more why you did a duet with him and then refused to let your name be printed on the label along with the other contributing artists. Doesn't that kind of go against the idea of getting your name out there?" He tilted his head to the side like a curious puppy. It was kind of cute, if I was honest with myself. A lot more innocent than that damn photo spread...

 _Gah, don't even think about that..._

I frowned. "I don't want to be known as a singer. I like being a composer," I stated firmly. I swear, it was like facing off against Shining Saotome's demands all over again.

Reiji pouted, flopping down on his stomach and stretching out on the couch, kicking his legs back and forth in the air. "Aww, but then I can't ask you to do a duet with me, too, Shi-chan..."

I rolled my eyes at him, propping my chin up on my arms, which were folded over the side of the chair.

"Well, you could still ask," I said, watching as his eyes lit up. I smirked. _Too easy._ "I'd just say no."

Reiji visibly drooped.

"Shi-chan, you're so mean!"

I laughed.

"Rei-chan, the only reason I dote on Ai-kun so much is because we've been pretty much attached at the hip since we met five years ago, so he's pretty much family in my mind."

Even as I said the words though, there was an uncomfortable nagging sensation in the back of my mind saying that that wasn't quite true, anymore... He wasn't really like a brother to me in my mind, was he? He seemed...more special. Ai-nii had been like a brother to me, but Ai had grown even closer to me than that in the past few months. It was a sort of feeling that I couldn't quite put my finger on, but it was... warm. It felt like... something I should cherish. A small smile played on my lips at the thought.

"Ho-ho! Is Shi-chan thinking of a guy right now?" Reiji said, reaching over and poking my cheek. I pretended to bite at it, but he just grinned, meowing at me and miming a cat swiping its claws. I scowled at that, and he propped his hands up under his chin. "Aw, come on, Shi-chan. I just want to know more about you, seeing as you're going to be our composer now, and all. Shining gave you the okay already, right?" His eyes were bright as he said this. Obviously he already knew the answer to that, he was just trying to get me to talk. My eyebrow twitched at the obvious ploy, but I went along with it anyway.

"Yeah, he did," I said, slumping back in my chair as I blew my bangs away from my eye. They were getting a little long; I made a mental note that I'd have to cut them later. "I've been working on a new single for you guys, but I was wondering if maybe...you also might want me to do solo songs for you? I mean, I'd have to get to know you, Camus, and Ranmaru a bit better before I could write for you; I already know Ai well enough, but...I don't know...maybe it's being a little too ambitious to propose that so soon after being accepted..." I rambled, more to myself than anything. I hadn't even thought to propose the idea to the group as a whole, even though I'd been mulling it over for the past week or so in my head. Between all the group songs I had been writing in preparation for an upcoming EP release for Quartet Night, I had found myself missing the process of just writing a simple, one-person song. Sure, I had still found the time to write the occasional song for myself, but it was different from writing for other people. I...well, I missed it, to tell the truth. It was very satisfying, to me, to be able to capture someone else's spirit in song.

Reiji watched me, quietly, for once. He seemed to mull something over in his head before he spoke.

"I'd like that," he said. I looked over at him, surprised, and he continued, giving a little sigh. "I don't know about Ran-Ran and Myu-chan, but...I'd like that." He gave a little smile to show his words were genuine.

I was shocked, but a slow smile spread across my face until I was grinning widely. I reached over and grabbed Reiji's hands, surprising him a little. I laughed and jumped up from my seat, pulling him up with me. I squeezed his hands tightly.

"Thanks, Rei-chan! I won't let you down," I said. Being the person I'd spent the most time with since becoming Quartet Night's composer, aside from Ai of course, I had a fairly good grasp on his personality. I still felt I should get to know him a bit better, though, before writing a song for him, and I would of course include him in the song-writing process. "What do you say we grab some food later before we get started on your song? I want to start right away, if possible..."

Reiji chuckled. "Of course," he said, surprising me by grabbing me in a hug and spinning me around. "Ah! Shi-chan, you're just so adorable!"

"Eep! Let me down! I get dizzy really easy!"

"Neverrrr! Ahahaha~!"

* * *

Ai's debut album had been released two days ago, and it had immediately shot up the charts, now trending in the top three. I got my wish of Ai giving me a copy for my birthday. The cute thing was that he signed it, "To the only Shinako-nee, From Ai". It was his way of saying thank-you for your hard work, though not in so many words. I felt a little narcissistic listening to all of the songs on repeat, due to the fact that I had been the one to compose them, but they were just so catchy I couldn't stop. It didn't hurt that Ai's voice was so angelic. I cringed a little the first time that the CD came to our duet just on principle of not wanting to hear myself sing, but as it went on, I got sucked in by the music, finding myself swaying and humming under my breath. I'm a little embarrassed to say that Ai walked in on me doing that. He laughed. I didn't.

I had just finished brushing my teeth and getting ready for the day when my phone chimed that I had an e-mail. After a quick check, I saw that it was from Shining Saotome. I quirked an eyebrow. He rarely, if ever, called me in for meetings these days. Usually he waited for me to come to him with new compositions (which was fairly frequently), and if he had any questions or concerns, he would address them with me then. I wondered what was different about today. His message that he wanted to see me "ASAP! (there was a little star symbol inserted here)" was a little disconcerting. Shrugging it off, I pulled on a blue scarf and my tan wool coat and headed over to his office at the high school building. As a last minute thought, I grabbed my sheep mittens, slipping them on with a grin. It's okay to be a little childish sometimes, right?

The trek to Saotome's office was relatively short, and I found myself staring up at the large wooden doors before I knew it. Frowning, I knocked, waiting for him to call "Come iiiiiin, Miss Shinako" in a rather creepy voice before I opened it, slipping into the office and shutting the door quietly behind me before I walked up to Saotome's desk. He was fiddling with his tie, his feet resting on top of the desk; the picture of relaxation. It only served to put me a little more on edge.

"Miss Shinako," he drawled, drawing out the 'O' in my name. "I take it you have seen Mister Mikaze's CD ranking in the charts since its release." He smirked.

I nodded. "It's doing extremely well for him being a fairly unknown idol at this point."

"Quality music often speaks for itself," he said, his sunglasses gleaming as he pushed them up the bridge of his nose. I still don't know what causes that! The blinds in his office are drawn, damnit! "What I called you here to tell you is that there is actually an uproar in the press right now about the contents of that CD...namely, the unnamed singer on the final track." He gave a somewhat menacing grin at this point. I broke out in a cold sweat.

"Uh...um...okay?" I said, not really sure how to respond to that news. "But...you're not going to release my name to them in order to respect my wishes...right?"

Saotome hummed for a moment, stroking his chin in thought. I sweat-dropped nervously.

"I will keep your secret, Miss Shinako," he said at length, making me droop a little in relief. "HOWEVER! You must accept the request Mister Mikaze placed to me this morning."

I grimaced. Compromises with Shining Saotome never seemed to turn out well for me in the end. "And that would be...?" I didn't really have a choice though right now if I wanted to keep my anonymity, did I?

Saotome clapped his hands together, then spread his arms wide as though he were displaying something grand.

"You will perform your duet with Mister Mikaze on stage at his live concert next month!"

The words took a moment to process in my brain, but when they did, I stared at Saotome blankly.

"...Oh," I said quietly.

And then, I fainted.


	14. thirteen

**A/N:** Quick update on the update schedule. I know I said this next week I'd be able to do multiple updates, but I ended up picking up a number of extra shifts instead of keeping my week off (trying to save up money for my trip in December, haha), plus I ended up committing to participate in NaNoWriMo again this November despite how busy I am... -_- So this should be..."interesting". Participating in NaNoWriMo also means my updates will be less frequent throughout November; however, I'll try to keep up with updates every-other-week at the least, so stay tuned!

Nevertheless, enjoy the extra-long update...and the cliffhanger! MUHAHAHAHAH -chokes-

* * *

 **Secret Guardian**

 **-chapter thirteen-**

* * *

I sat in the middle of the floor in my room, half-written music ledger sheets strewn about me along with a variety of instruments within reach. I massaged my temples, feeling a headache coming on as I half-listened to the TV interview Ai had done yesterday that was just being aired now.

" _Mikaze-san, there's just one question that has been on everyone's minds ever since your debut album was released, and despite all of the theories your fans have come up with, nobody seems to have an answer!_ " The interviewer chuckled here. " _Won't you tell us who the owner of the voice is on the final track? It's been bugging me so much I have trouble sleeping at night, wondering who on earth it could be!_ "

I gave the interviewer points for their tenacity. There had been a few interviews in the past couple weeks with both Ai and Quartet Night, and every time, the interviewer had asked about my vocal track, but every time they had dodged the question with the grace of practiced idols. It didn't stop a twinge of worry from shooting through me that they might accidentally slip up, though. I uttered a silent prayer to any god that was listening that I didn't get found out...not that I really saw much point in it at this point, seeing as I would be forced on stage in another two weeks' time. I was still in denial about that, even though I had been forced into dance choreography practice with Ai for the past two weeks to try and get my stage presence up to snuff in time for the performance.

" _Ah...sorry, interviewer-san, but that is...a secret._ " I glanced over at the TV in time to see him giving a secretive smile and wink at the interviewer. He tapped his lips with a finger to signal his silence on the subject, and I could hear squeals from some of the fans in the crowd. I rolled my eyes. He might say he didn't feel emotions, but he certainly still knew how to get a reaction out of others. I felt a little relieved that he wasn't about to give me up any sooner than necessary. I also felt a little bad that for a second there, I kind of doubted him. Ai had never given me any reason to think he wouldn't be true to his word, after all. I just worried too much.

I stared down at the music sheet I was holding in my hand, the notes playing themselves over in my mind. I had been thinking about Aine again. I had finally plucked up the courage to face him just yesterday. It had been more than a little heart-breaking to see him hooked up to all those machines at the hospital, what with the oxygen and the feeding tube and the IVs that were keeping him healthy despite the fact that he hadn't woken up in so long. When the nursing staff had come into the room a few minutes after I got there, saying they had to turn him so that he wouldn't get bed sores from lying in one position for too long, I had just about had a breakdown. I wasn't sure if I was brave enough to go see him like that again anytime soon. He hadn't even stirred throughout the whole time I held his hand and spoke to him. It was more than a little disheartening, and the only thing I could do to cope with the feelings it evoked was to write more music.

I pulled the ukulele towards me, feeling the smooth wood beneath my fingers as I positioned it in my lap, slowly picking my way through the melody as I mulled over the feeling I was trying to portray.

" _I know this is not the end  
We'll see each other again  
And we'll pretend  
That we can see our hands clasped in the dark  
And someday we'll outshine the sun  
Just you and I_"

I paused, my vision growing blurry as tears threatened to fall. I hastily wiped them away with my sleeve before they could drip on my precious sheet music. I gave a watery laugh. Even after all this time, I still couldn't get over my brother's absence. Seeing him in the hospital just made it all seem so much more...final. Like there was no way he was going to snap out of it. He hadn't changed much, other than his hair being a little longer. I guessed it hadn't grown too much because Uncle Jirou arranged for a hairdresser for him every so often, but...to see him so much the same, and yet not waking...it was like he was frozen in that moment when he tried to end his life, and he just hadn't succeeded yet because we were fighting so hard to keep him from leaving completely. I understood why Uncle Jirou couldn't bring himself to take Aine off the machines, though. I might not be strong enough to go visit him again at the hospital anytime soon, but that didn't mean that I could find it in myself to let him go, either...

Sighing, I pinched the bridge of my nose. That damn headache was still threatening to come on, and I had dance choreography practice in...how long? I checked the time on my phone. _Twelve minutes._ I sighed, setting to work putting all my instruments away and sorting my sheet music into piles of "things I want to work on right away", "things I want to work on at a later time", and "things I'm not really fond of but don't want to throw away just yet". (I had a lot of the last one.) I gulped down some Tylenol and grabbed my water bottle before heading to the practice room where Ai would no doubt be waiting already. He was always early for these things. At least I had already been wearing a tee-shirt and cargo pants, which was suitable enough for what we would be doing.

When I reached the door of the practice room, I took a deep, steadying breath before pushing the door open. Needless to say, I was feeling like crap already that day, and I felt even less like practicing than usual. I felt a little better, though, when I saw Ai at the far end of the room next to the CD player, doing some light stretches. He looked over, his eyebrows raising a bit when he saw me. I panicked a bit, realizing I hadn't done anything about my appearance since I woke up that morning aside from pulling my hair back in a quick ponytail. I probably looked just like I felt...like crap.

"Shinako-nee...have you been crying?" he asked, crossing the room and grabbing my face between his hands, tilting it this way and that to examine it. I sweat-dropped.

"Uh...maybe?" I said noncommittally with a little shrug. "I just...haven't been feeling great since this morning..." I couldn't meet his eyes. The little joy I'd had at seeing him initially was turning into melancholy the longer I stared at him, because the more I stared, the more I thought about how much he looked like Aine, and the more I thought about the likelihood that Aine would never wake up. It was a vicious cycle. Even looking away didn't do much to help, because his voice was exactly the same as Aine's, too. I felt Ai's hands move away from my face, and I heard him sigh quietly.

"You've been thinking about your brother, haven't you."

And once again, Ai hit the nail on the head. He was a really perceptive person, after all. I nodded slowly. Ai had known ever since before I met him that he existed to become an idol in the hopes of helping Aine wake up, but it hadn't been until a few months ago that he had found out that Aine and the "brother" that I sometimes talked about were one and the same.

Ai tilted my chin up, making me look at him. I frowned. I was still annoyed that he was taller than me now despite being three years younger than me. He gave a small, amused smile at my annoyed look, but it quickly melted into a serious expression.

"You shouldn't feel sad by yourself," he said softly, tugging lightly on the bangs that had escaped from my ponytail. "If you're feeling sad, I want to cheer you up, Shinako-nee." He suddenly looked panicked, probably due to the fact that my eyes were leaking miniature waterfalls of tears. "S-Shinako-nee, did I say something wrong!?"

"No, you brat!" I half-sobbed, grabbing him in a tight hug. "I'm crying because I'm feeling moved, obviously!"

He hesitantly wrapped an arm around me in return, patting my head awkwardly with the other hand.

"Er...there, there...?"

His awkward methods made me laugh, and I could feel him relax at the sound. I couldn't help but feel happier at his efforts to make me feel better. Ai might not be very good with emotions still, but he seemed to have a knack for helping me cope with mine. Maybe it was just the way I saw it, but he seemed to really put in an effort to try and make me happy. I guessed it was because I was his best friend, after all... I felt a little sad at the thought, but I couldn't figure out why. I had a vague idea, but...I didn't really want to acknowledge it at that point...

Either way, I was glad for Ai's friendship.

It didn't mean I wasn't sad about Aine anymore, but at least, the sadness was something...I knew I could deal with, in time.

* * *

I took deep, shaky breaths as I stared at my reflection in the dressing room mirror. The hair and makeup artists had done a good job of making me look pretty and girly rather than my usual boyish look. I tugged at the hem of the short, lacy dress, uncomfortable with the short length of it. Thankfully they had given in and let me wear bicycle shorts underneath, otherwise I had a sneaking suspicion I would be blushing so hard on stage I might faint in the middle of the song. I frowned, thinking for a minute about all the different advice the members of Quartet Night had given me for coping with stage fright. I wasn't exactly sure what would work best for me. Trace the symbol for 'person' on my hand three times and swallow it? Imagine the audience members in nothing but their underwear? Focus on my breathing? Just think positive? (I blame Ranmaru for that last piece of advice, seeing how unhelpful it really was to my nerves... At least Camus' tip about the breathing, I felt would come in handy.)

There was a knock on the door, and one of the stage hands poked their head into the room.

"Mura-san, they're ready for you now," she said kindly, touching a hand to her earpiece for a moment and then saying, "Ah, head to stage right. If you have trouble finding it, just ask one of the security guards on the way. Good luck!"

"Thank you," I said with a nervous smile as the worker left. I gave a heavy sigh, grabbing one of the water bottles Ai's manager had brought for the two of us and taking a big gulp before I headed out towards the stage. It was easy enough to find; I just had to follow the nerve-wracking, loud screams of Ai's fans until I found Ai himself, standing with a few of the backup dancers and musicians. When he spotted me, he quickly excused himself, jogging over to me. I noticed a few of the musicians had familiar faces; I had worked with them on past works, either on Kira's debut CD, or on Quartet Night's debut single. They must be highly sought-after musicians then, I thought with a smile, and here they were, playing for Ai. It made me a little proud to see how far he had come since I first met him all those years ago.

"Shinako-nee, how are your nerves?" Ai asked bluntly, as quick to the point as ever. I sweat-dropped a little.

"A-Ah...well...um, they're okay, I guess...?"

Ai stared at me. "That's Shinako code for 'they're terrible, but I don't want to tell you that'."

I scowled at him. "Well if you knew that, then why did you even ask!?" I said testily. Seriously, this guy...

Ai sighed, grabbing my wrist and pulling me gently towards the stage entrance.

"It's okay to be nervous, Shinako-nee. It's what makes you genuine. But, if you're feeling like you're scared you'll mess up, or if you're scared of thinking of everyone's eyes on you, just...look at me," he said with a small smile. "Just focus on me, and it'll be like we're playing at home all over again, just the two of us."

My expression softened, and I moved my hand so rather than Ai holding my wrist, we were holding hands. I gave his a quick squeeze as he looked at me in surprise.

"Thanks, Ai."

Ai's brow furrowed and he opened his mouth as if to say something, but there was a sudden shout from one of the workers.

"Places, people! Curtains are back up in sixty seconds for the final number, let's go! Let's make the finale even better than the rest!"

Ai laughed. "That won't be hard," he said as he pulled me onto the currently curtained stage, standing me about two feet away from him. He looked over at me as the stage director began a countdown from fifteen seconds, the final few people scrambling to take their seats and lift their instruments in the orchestra section.

"Close your eyes when the curtain rises, don't look at the crowd," he said quickly as the countdown neared zero, "and remember...look at me."

I nodded, feeling determined as the curtain began to rise, and my eyes slid shut. I mentally blocked out the sound of cheering, even louder than it had been before when I'd been following it to the stage. Were they that excited to see someone new? Or was it just that I was closer to the cheering that it sounded so much louder now? I shoved the thoughts to the back of my mind as the orchestra began to play, the familiar song resonating in my mind as the lyrics resurfaced within me. Ai and I didn't need to look at each other to be perfectly in sync as we sang, but as the first chorus neared, my eyes slid open and I looked to him at my right, finding him staring back at me. Slowly, we faced each other, beginning to move in time with each other, as we acted as each other's mirror while we danced. I felt light, beginning to enjoy myself as long as I didn't look at the crowd too much. This was the summary of all our practice, the peak we had reached through all our hard work this past month, and it was...fantastic. Our voices were clearer than ever, our movements exact. I was almost sad when it came to a close, and as the orchestra played the last few lines, we held our hands out to each other, joining them before we turned to the audience. There was a moment of silence as the instruments ceased to play, before thunderous applause and cheering just about deafened me.

Ai smiled over at me and said, covering his mic, "They're cheering for you, Shinako-nee."

I laughed, but I was actually so moved I wanted to cry at that moment. I never thought I would be able to stand on a stage like that and perform for other people, let alone that they would like it so much they would cheer. I resisted the urge to hug Ai, instead holding our joined hands up and pulling him down into a low bow. I checked my mic quick to make sure it was on, ignoring the curious look I saw Ai give me out of the corner of my eye.

"Thank you all for your support," I said over the applause. It died down a little when they heard me speak. I smiled. "You're all beautiful."

The applause started back up with renewed vigor, and I shut my mic off, chuckling. Ai rolled his eyes a little, but smiled as the curtain closed in front of us. It didn't really do much to muffle the cheers still coming from beyond it. I quickly walked over to the backup dancers, thanking them and then the orchestra members before I headed back for my dressing room. I took my time getting changed, seeing as Ai had said we'd be waiting a while before leaving the theater in order to try and avoid the paparazzi. Even though we waited a good hour after the show to leave (in which time I pointedly ignored the stage hands' protests and helped them clean up the stage area, because otherwise I would have had nothing to do and I hate feeling useless), I still had to hide behind Ai and his manager as we headed out to the car, my dark sunglasses and large hat blocking a good deal of the glare from the persistent camera flashes of the journalists all trying to get a good picture of the "new talent" performing with Ai Mikaze. This was the part I had been dreading. All the microphones shoved in everyone's faces as they tried to grill us on my identity. The security guards that escorted us out held them at bay, but that didn't stop them from trying their damnedest to get the next big scoop.

Once we were safely in the car, Ai's manager took a number of turns and back roads, trying to make sure we weren't followed before heading back to the Master Course dorms. I almost got car-sick from all the quick turns we made, but about an hour later, we finally arrived at our destination, with no followers in sight. I grinned and congratulated the manager on losing them, to which he just laughed and said he had a lot of experience with that sort of thing by now.

When Ai and I got to the main doors, I grabbed his sleeve, pulling him up short. He gave me a look of slight surprise.

"Hm? What is it, Shinako-nee?" he asked, tilting his head to the side a little.

I bit the inside of my cheek, thinking for a moment, before blurting out, "Thankyouforlettingmeperformwithyou!"

Ai stared at me before pinching my cheeks.

"Owwww, Ai-kun..."

"Say that again, and this time, breathe between words."

I pouted, rubbing the spots he'd pinched. He had a superhuman grip, I tell you!

"Thank you for letting me perform with you," I said, a lot calmer this time. I grinned a little. "Honestly, I was dreading it this whole past month, but...I kind of enjoyed myself, in the end."

Ai smiled, tugging at my bangs. "Of course you did. You're a people person, after all."

I blinked. "...Huh?"

Ai gave me an amused look.

"Have you never noticed how far you go to get along with people? You always say 'I'm no good with people', but in fact, you really are. You're earnest and determined, and when people see that, they can't help but want to know you." He gave a quiet laugh. "It's the same with being an idol. You can put up an act all you want, but if people don't see and like the real you, they'll never support you...that's why I think you'd make a good idol, Shinako-nee."

I groaned.

"You and Saotome both..."

With that, I headed inside, bidding Ai a good night and immediately seeking out my bed. It was time to get some well-earned sleep, already.

Unfortunately, just as I was pulling my pyjamas on, my phone rang. I groaned, but headed over, knowing that nobody I knew would phone me this late unless it were something important. Checking the caller ID, I frowned when I saw it was the professor. I quickly pressed the "accept call" button, holding the phone to my ear.

"Hello? Uncle Jirou?"

I barely got the words out before I was cut off, by words that hit me with the weight of a ton of bricks.

" _Aine woke up._ "


	15. fourteen

**A/N:** Muhahaha, I'm back with another update before November! Maybe even another one tomorrow! I've regained my fighting spirit thanks to my lovely first review. (This one's for you, _twenteenth_!) This one's a little shorter than the last, but it'll be longer again next chapter.

Enjoy~!

* * *

 **Secret Guardian**

 **-chapter fourteen-**

* * *

I reached Aine's room, breathing hard from running up four flights of stairs to get to his room. I had immediately taken a taxi to the hospital as soon as I had hung up the phone with the professor, ignoring Ranmaru's question of where I was going when I ran past him out the door. I wasn't about to slow down when I had more pressing matters to attend to. If Aine was awake, was he okay? Was he sitting up? Was he talking? Was he in pain? Those questions and a million more ran through my mind as I fidgeted in the back seat of the taxi cab, wishing the driver would go quicker even though due to the heavy traffic, I knew he couldn't. When we hit a red light just before we turned into the hospital parking lot, I had slapped the payment in his hand and ran the rest of the way on foot. I was kind of regretting it now, though, as I hunched over outside the door to Aine's room, trying to catch my breath.

As soon as I didn't feel like my lungs were on fire, I took a deep breath and straightened up, knocking lightly before entering the room. The professor was there, sitting in a chair next to the bed, leaning forward with his elbows propped on his knees. He looked pensive, and I realized when he only briefly glanced up at me before looking back at Aine the reason for his expression. I followed his gaze to Aine...he was asleep.

I gulped.

"Uncle Jirou..." I trailed off, not wanting to ask what I was about to, but I had to know the answer. "Is he back in a coma?" My voice got quieter as I asked, "Did he even wake up in the first place?"

Honestly, he looked exactly like he had when I had seen him yesterday.

The professor sighed, sitting back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yes, he woke up. It was just for a few seconds, though." He grew serious, staring at me with a furrowed brow. It made me a little uncomfortable that he was staring at me so intently. I fussed with the hem of my shirt rather than meet his gaze. "Shinako...he said something about 'feeling their music' before he passed out."

My heart stuttered.

"R-really!?"

I couldn't find it in myself to blame his words on coincidence. It would've been one thing if it was just my own music, but Ai and I had sung together on that stage earlier, and afterward, Uncle Jirou had said Aine woke up. All of our feelings and hard work had gone into that song we sang together; I knew because I was putting my all into it, and I could see the determined gleam in Ai's eyes as I looked at him on stage. We hadn't held anything back.

And Aine had woken up...briefly.

It was more than enough for me, though, because it proved that my worries and fears of him never waking up, of him being stuck in that state permanently, were all meaningless. Aine had woken up. And that meant that if we gave it our all...we could maybe make that permanent, very soon.

I chewed my lip, sitting across the bed from the professor and taking Aine's limp hand in mine. But if the reason for Aine waking up was because of Ai's and my singing on stage... I sighed.

Well, at least I know a good talent agency that would be eager to scout me as an idol, I thought sourly.

Really, all I wanted to do was write music. As much as I love singing and playing, and as much fun as it was being on stage with Ai once I got over my nerves, it didn't mean that I wanted to be an idol. Being an idol meant having to get over my awkwardness with new people (or at least covering it up); it meant that I couldn't let my loud, brash personality shine through, because who would listen to that kind of female idol? Guys would think I was uncute, and girls would belittle me for acting weird...

The professor's sudden laugh pulled me out of my thoughts, and I looked over at him. He smiled at me as he stood from his seat, pulling on his coat.

"Well, I was going to ask that whatever you and Ai did, that you continue doing it, but I can see from your expression that you're already putting some serious thought into it," he said, reaching over to give my shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"Thank you, Shinako," he said seriously. "I mean it. Even if it was only for a few seconds..." He gazed down at Aine with a wistful expression. "It was good to see him awake again."

I gave a half-smile. "I just wish I'd been there to see it, too."

The professor smiled fondly at me.

"You will next time," he said. "I trust you and Ai will continue to do your best."

With that, he left, leaving Aine and I alone. I studied his peaceful sleeping face. They had taken the oxygen off, but the IVs and feeding tube remained. I wondered if that meant he was more stable than he had been before. Sighing, I put my head down on the edge of the bed.

"Not even a day after my first concert, and I've already decided to be an idol..." I groaned, messing my hair up with both hands. "It's gonna be a long, hard road ahead, Ai-nii..."

* * *

It was really late by the time I got back to the Master Course dorm, so I wasn't surprised to find that there wasn't anyone up in the main lounge area. I had gotten a coffee before I left the hospital, though, so I was feeling a little buzzed. I didn't think I'd be able to fall asleep for at least a couple hours, so rather than go to my room, I headed to one of the music rooms that was close to the girls' dorms. At least that way, I shouldn't wake up any of the guys. I sat down at the piano, staring at the keys for a moment before I picked a key and began to play. It started out very simple, just picking random notes with my right hand, but once I found a sequence I liked, I added my left hand in. I started thinking about the words that Ai had said to me after the concert, about how I was earnest and determined, and that people would want to know me once they realized that. I had been worrying the entire cab ride back from the hospital about what would happen once I gave Saotome my decision about becoming an idol, but those words...they made me feel calmer, like I might actually be able to do this.

I smiled at the thought, letting the music flow through me as I felt words connecting to it. I let them come, singing softly along with the piano.

" _Timid heart  
Reaching out to those passing by  
Strayed too far  
Lost in the busy city, looking for a sign  
To point the way_

 _Timid heart  
Blossoming slowly in the night  
Beneath the stars  
It's okay for you to take your time  
To find your way_

 _To find your way into the light of day  
Where you can always see where you might have a place  
Where you can still believe  
That even if the shadows still exist -  
You are safe, in the warmth of this sunshine_

 _Timid heart  
Resting safe inside your hands  
Open arms  
Welcoming as many as you can  
In to stay_

 _Timid heart  
Refusing all these half-hearted plans  
Come so far  
From when you were young, too afraid to take a stand  
To find your way_

 _To find your way into the light of day  
Where you can always see where you might have a place  
Where you can still believe  
That even if the shadows still exist -  
You are safe, in the warmth of this sunshine_"

I sighed, resting my hands on the keys and leaning my head against the wood above them.

"What, you're not gonna write that down?"

I jumped, about to yell at whoever it was that scared me when I turned my head and saw it was Ranmaru. I huffed.

"Huh. It's you."

"Oi, what's that supposed to mean!?" he snapped. He walked over from where he'd been standing in the doorway, sitting himself down in the window seat that was close to the piano. He folded his arms, looking at me expectantly. "...Well?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Well, what?"

He looked annoyed. Not that he ever seemed to not look annoyed when I was around, but I mean he looked slightly more annoyed than usual.

"What the hell was that about earlier?" he clarified. "When you ran out the door?"

I frowned, biting the inside of my cheek. On the one hand, I could tell him, but who knew how he would react. He might tell Reiji, and I wasn't sure if I was ready for that kind of confrontation yet. Reiji might freak out if he realized I knew Aine, and he would certainly want to know what had happened to him. Even if Ranmaru didn't tell Reiji, though, what would he do or say if I told him someone close to me was in a coma, and I thought they had woken up, but they'd fallen back into it? Would he laugh? Would he pity me? Would he even care? I sighed. Well, it was bound to come out sooner or later. Maybe it was better to tell him now and get it over with rather than worry over it. It might even feel good to tell someone else about it.

"My brother...well, he's not really my brother by blood, but he was like a brother to me when I was a kid...he fell into a coma a few years ago," I said, omitting the part where he had tried to kill himself. If Aine was going to wake up in the not-so-distant future, I was pretty sure he would want to choose for himself if he let people in on that particular fact, rather than having me spread it around. "I got a call from a...mutual friend that he had woken up." I also omitted the part where I called the professor my uncle, figuring I probably shouldn't tell Ranmaru too many confusing things at a time. Trying to explain it properly would just get me off track at this point, anyways. "That's why I was rushing down there, to see him at the hospital, but by the time I got there...well, he had already fallen back into the coma." I messed my hair, feeling a little frustrated at the situation. I peeked over at Ranmaru to see what his expression looked like.

He looked...thoughtful.

He had his hand over his mouth, brow furrowed as he stared at the ground, as though he was trying to figure something out.

"I see..." he said at length.

Huh? That's all? I figured he would at least have a little more to say than that...

Ranmaru stood up, moving to walk past me, but he paused next to me. Hesitantly, as though he was unsure of what he was doing, he lightly placed a hand on my shoulder, patting it. I raised an eyebrow at him questioningly. He frowned in response.

"Look, just because I don't like you doesn't mean I don't like having you as our composer. I already told you, you write decent music. You seem to be getting better every time I hear you, too." He looked a little annoyed again as he said that. Maybe he envied me? Ah, who knew? Ranmaru was one person whose mind I could deal with not seeing inside... I suppressed a shudder at the thought. "And you can't write good music if you're always worrying, so..." he patted my shoulder once more before removing his hand, "I'm sure it'll all work out in time. And if he woke up, even for a little bit...that's a good thing no matter how you look at it, right?"

He didn't wait for my response as he shoved his hands in his pockets, nodding to himself and heading out the door. I was a little stunned. Had Ranmaru Kurosaki just...comforted me!? I slapped my cheeks, grimacing at the pain it brought. Yup, I was awake. That just happened. I shot a weird look at the empty doorway, standing up and grabbing some blank music sheets out of the piano bench before I, too, headed out of the room.

I would write it all down in my room. I'd had enough excitement and weirdness for an entire week.


	16. fifteen

**A/N:** GAH I'm so sorry this took so long! -dodges rotten fruit- BUT! I'm back! I was focused on original works for the past couple months and then I went on vacation. Thanks to all who have favorited, followed, and reviewed this story during my little hiatus.

Guess what!? Only four more chapters until Nanami and STARISH! Ahhhh!

* * *

 **Secret Guardian**

 **-chapter fifteen-**

* * *

"HOHOHO! You've been found out, MISS SHINAKO!"

President Saotome laughed, twirling around and tossing a magazine on his desk in front of me. I picked it up tentatively, giving Saotome a curious look.

"What's thi-GAH!" I promptly threw the offending object across the room. The cover had been two pictures...both of _me!_ One was obviously taken by a professional photographer, of me on stage with Ai yesterday, and the second one was a slightly blurry photograph that looked like it had been taken by a camera phone, of me in my school uniform during senior year at Saotome Academy. I wondered who the hell had taken that second one, because Yamato had never really used his phone to take pictures of anyone, and Kira had had this weird thing for only photographing cats. (Don't ask...I still don't know what that's all about, to be honest.)

Ai chuckled in the seat beside me. We had been having lunch when Saotome had appeared out of nowhere with a megaphone and just about wrecked our eardrums yelling that he wanted to see us in his office right away. I frowned at Ai. How dare he laugh at me!?

President Saotome gave a boisterous laugh, then skipped over to his messy-looking desk, scooped up a huge stack of papers, and dumped them unceremoniously in my lap.

"Er...what's all this for, President?" I asked, hesitantly picking up one of the papers and reading over it. "It says it's an inquiry from...Raging Entertainment?" I said, confused. Why would Raging Entertainment be mailing some sort of inquiry to President Saotome? And even more importantly... "Why are you giving me this?"

Ai leaned over to peer at it over my shoulder. I tensed up a bit at his sudden closeness, not having expected it. I hoped my face wasn't red, especially since President Saotome was watching... Ai pointed at something further down the page.

"It says it's an inquiry about you doing a collaboration song with one of their idols."

"Oh, is that so? I-WAIT, WHAT?"

"BAHAHAHA! Yes, Miss Shinako, I summoned you here because I have been receiving offers like that all morning. I was rather hoping that by showing you the vast number of requests I've received on your behalf for more idol work, I would be able to change your mind about what you said before..." he said, stroking his chin with a calculating look as his sunglasses gleamed. I think I've pretty much gotten used to the fact that I'll never understand why that happens...

I sighed. "You don't have to. I already decided I'll be an idol."

I caught the surprised look Ai gave me out of the corner of my eye. I had been going to tell him about my decision over lunch, but then we had been interrupted by Saotome, of course, so I hadn't gotten a chance to in the end. I felt a little bad that he had to find out like this instead. Then I remembered that he had been the one to drag me onstage in the first place, and I was overcome by a mixture of emotions. I felt angry that he had gone behind my back and requested that when he knew how I felt about performing in front of crowds. I also felt a grudging thankfulness that he had done so, because if he hadn't, Aine might have never woken up. And somewhere in the midst of it all, I felt disappointed that he'd felt like he couldn't ask me to my face. After all the times that I had bent over backward to help Ai and be the best friend to him I could be, I was hurt that he felt like he couldn't ask me for a favor, even if the favor might seem like too much to ask. The least he could have done was ask. After all, the worst thing I could have done was say no, right? A small frown tugged at my lips as I avoided Ai's look of surprise.

"DONE!" Shining shouted so loud I winced a little as it hurt my ears. "There is noooo turning back now, Miss Shinako!" he said, producing a stack of papers and a pen from what seemed like thin air and shoving them in my face. "Sign all the lines that are highlighted and you will officially be the newest idol under Shining Entertainment!" He started laughing loudly, making me grimace as I wondered if it was really safe to sign all these papers without having a lawyer go over them first. For all I knew, I could be signing over my soul to President Saotome, after all... but then I realized that Ai was under the same contract, and he hadn't had any trouble so far. The only issue I might possibly run into under Shining Entertainment was the whole relationship clause. But then again, I was still under that same rule with just being a composer for them, so in the end it shouldn't really affect anything even if I change job titles...

I hesitated, the pen hovering over the paper as I could feel Ai watching me closely, though he didn't say a word to protest. I looked up at Shining, my brow furrowed in concern.

"This...this won't change my job as Quartet Night's composer, will it?" I asked quietly, biting the inside of my cheek. I had just started to gain the group's trust in my work. I didn't want to let them down now. It would feel like I was betraying them if I just up and left them all.

Shining hummed thoughtfully, stroking his chin.

"As long as you make a successful debut as an idol within the next month, you may stay on as Quartet Night's composer," he said with a conspiratory grin. "BUT!"

 _Ugh, I'm getting really tired of all these 'buts' the President throws at me..._

"You must release a mini-album by the end of the month...and it must chart within the top ten new releases!"

I felt a bead of sweat trickle down the back of my neck. The top ten!? Was Shining trying to kill me? There was no way I would be able to throw together an album that good within the next four weeks! I felt a hand on my arm where it was gripping the armrest of the chair and looked down to see Ai's pale hand over the sleeve of my sweater. He offered me a small smile.

"You can do it, Shinako-nee," he said. "It'll be no problem for you."

I looked away, unable to meet his eyes for long as I mumbled a half-hearted 'thanks'. I felt him hesitate before he drew his hand back. I sighed, straightening out the papers clutched in my left hand and scribbling my signature on them in my messy handwriting.

"I make no promises, President Saotome, but you can bet I'll sure as hell try."

Shining leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers in front of his face with a satisfied smile. "I know you will, Miss Shinako."

Sighing, I placed the papers back on Shining's desk and stood from my seat, feeling something pop in my back as I straightened and stretched it out. I made a face before looking over at Ai. He had a small frown on his face as he stared at the papers I'd just set down. I raised an eyebrow in silent question.

"Come on, Ai-kun. I've got a half-eaten bento back at the dorm calling my name."

Ai jerked his head up to look at me, blinking slowly as though he hadn't realized I was still there before nodding. He pushed off the seat and stepped in front of me, leading the way out the door. Just as my hand gripped the doorknob to pull it closed behind me, Shining called out for me to wait a moment. I paused, though Ai did not, still heading down the hall away from Shining's office. I looked back to see Shining with a concerned frown on his face.

"Miss Shinako, I hope you do not blame Mister Mikaze for making you go on stage with him," he said, and my eyes widened. He'd hit the nail right on the head. Just how perceptive was he? It was kind of scary that he knew that just from how the two of us had interacted in the few minutes we'd been in his office.

"After all, it was my idea that you perform together."

I stared at him dumbly. "Uh...what?" I said, at a loss for words.

Shining gave an innocent shrug. "You can't blame a man for trying to push a performer to their limits, Miss Shinakooooo!" He ended by jumping out of his chair and out of the open window. I watched in horror as he trailed out before I realized he was followed by a long trail of fabric that was anchored to the windowsill. I gave an aggravated sigh before turning and jogging out of the office to catch up with Ai.

I can't believe I agreed to keep working for such a weird drama queen of a guy...

* * *

"I don't want you to be an idol."

I paused with a bite of chicken halfway to my mouth. Frowning, I lowered it.

"Why do you say that, Ai-kun?" I asked. "After all, you seemed happy enough when I was performing on stage with you."

Ai frowned down at his omelette rice.

"That was different. We were performing together," he said. "If you go and become an idol on your own...it's not the same. You'll be off by yourself." He was quiet for a moment. "I can't help you with your stage fright if I'm not there."

I chuckled, causing him to frown up at me. I reached over and ruffled his hair, earning myself a half-hearted glare. I sighed, placing my almost-finished bento down on the bench beside me and looking out at the lake we sat overlooking.

"Ai-kun, you've helped me more than you realize," I said, leaning my elbows on my knees and folding my hands together. I wanted to tell him about Aine, but...I wasn't sure how he would react to it. For now, at least, I would keep it to myself. Until I knew for sure that Aine was going to wake up for good. "You're the reason I decided to go ahead and become an idol after all." I gave a small smile. "Knowing that I could enjoy myself that much on stage, and that I could move everyone with my performance...that's the greatest gift anyone's ever given me."

I heard Ai give a quiet sigh before I saw him lean forward, mirroring my posture.

"When you put it like that, Shinako-nee, I can't really complain about you becoming an idol," he said with a little frown that almost looked like a pout. I chuckled, causing it to deepen.

"Aw, don't make such a sad face, Ai-kun," I said, poking his cheek with a grin. I could tell he was struggling to keep his frown in place. "I'm not going to abandon you. I'm going to give it my all and get my album in the top ten, so I can keep being Quartet Night's composer!" I said, feeling a fiery determination as I said it. I huffed, standing up and putting my hands on my hips. "You hear that world? I'm going to be a top ten artist! TOP TEN!" I shouted out at the lake. I heard Ai give a huff of laughter from beside me and grinned down at him, glad to see he finally gave in and had a smile on his face.

"If that's the case, Shinako-nee, do you really have time to be sitting around doing nothing like this?"

"AH! You're right! Crap, crap, crap," I said, hastily gathering the remnants of my lunch and scurrying off towards the dorm. "See you later, Ai-kun! Save some supper for me!"

I certainly had my work cut out for me if I wanted to rise to Shining's challenge, after all...


	17. sixteen

**A/N:** I'm so happy to see so many people are reading/following this story! Hearing from you all is fantastic. I hope the writing continues to satisfy your inner fangirls/fanboys! Haha.

We have a special treat this chapter... AI'S POV! If y'all like it, I might add more of it. I hope I did him justice!

* * *

 **Secret Guardian**

 **-chapter sixteen-**

* * *

I groaned to myself, placing my head in my hands as I leaned my elbows on the keys of the piano before me, cringing at the cacophony of notes that pressed down at the movement. A sea of music sheets surrounded me, scattered all over the piano bench, on top of the piano, and all over the floor. I had a number of new songs written, some half-finished, and had polished up some older songs that I thought held promise. I had scribbled down some ideas of what I might use as a running theme for the album, or stories that I might tell through the songs I used. There were so many things I had to think of when putting this album together. What would people be the most receptive to? Of course, the universal love song was usually a hit, but it was also so...so overdone, in my opinion. Yes, it gave you a good feeling when you listened to it, but I felt like that wasn't the only kind of music out there, so why limit myself? There was so much to choose from.

Of course, having so much to choose from was sort of my problem at the moment.

It had already been almost a full week since Shining had given me his ultimatum. If I wanted to be on track to release by the end of the month, then I had to have my songs picked and be going into the recording studio by no later than two weeks from now. Even that would be cutting it close, because who knew how many takes we'd have to do in order to get all of the instrumental pieces together? I also had to make sure I rested my voice between takes, as we wouldn't want to have it give out before I finished recording all my tracks... I sighed, tugging at my hair in frustration. There was so much to do, and so little time. And here I was, so stressed out I had to take time that I could be using to do something useful, just to try and breathe through the nerves from the fact that I had no time to waste doing just that...

"Yo, Shi-chan!"

I yelped, clutching at the fabric of my sweater over my pounding heart. I glared at Reiji as he ambled into the room with a cheshire cat grin at my moment of panic.

"Geez, don't do that to me, Rei-chan! Try knocking once in a while, will ya?"

Reiji chuckled, scooping the music sheets up from the piano bench next to me and plopping himself down in their place as he leafed through them, humming in approval as he scanned the notes.

"You're getting better all the time, Shi-chan," he said with a grin. "I'm just thinking it's too bad you'll be so busy now that you're going to be an idol yourself. Otherwise I would ask you to write me another single." He winked and ruffled my hair.

I rolled my eyes at his antics, my heart giving a dull throb as the action reminded me of Aine.

"It's not like I'm going to fall off the face of the earth, Rei-chan. I just need to release this album at the end of the month and have it top the charts," I said flippantly, like it was no big deal, even though inside I could feel the crushing pressure of the incredible expectations Shining had put on me. Fake it 'til you make it, after all, right? I gently tugged the sheets out of his hand, adding them to the stack on top of the piano. "Now, if you don't mind, I have a crap load of work yet to do if I expect to keep on track for recording in two weeks."

Reiji stared at the piano keys thoughtfully, plunking out a major chord note by note, slowly making his way up through the octaves in a halting arpeggio.

"Well...truth be told, I didn't really come here to talk to you about your idol work," he confessed as his pinky lingered on the top note of the piano, the high note slowly dimming until the last traces of it were gone. I raised a silent eyebrow at him, and when he looked over, he shot me a wistful half-smile.

"I remember why I thought you were familiar when we first met."

I froze, my fingers unconsciously clenching around the edges of my sleeves. No, this was not the time for this. I didn't have time to deal with his questions when I had so much to focus on already. I needed to focus on my music. If I threw myself into my music there was a chance I could wake Aine, and then I wouldn't have to lie to Reiji about where he went, because he could just ask the man himself.

"Oh?" I said, but the word came out sounding choked. Reiji gave me a knowing look.

"Don't play with me. I'm serious," he said with a frown that was uncharacteristic for him. "I remember you. You were the girl that Aine talked about so much...the one he said was like a little sister to him. We met once, before Aine..." he trailed off, his gaze slipping back to the keys as he hesitated on his next words. "...Before he left. I remember it now."

I hesitated before placing a hand on his arm. He looked over at me, looking a bit surprised at the sudden touch.

"Reiji... I know you must have a lot of questions right now," I said, noting the hopeful flicker in his eyes before I said, "but...I can't answer any of them right now." It was like the energy drained out of him at my words. He slumped forward, his posture folding in on itself. I felt terrible for making such a lively guy look like that, but it was true. I sighed. "Sorry, Rei-chan. I know you probably had your hopes up, but...I just need a little longer before I can clear some things up for you. Okay?"

Reiji took a deep breath before straightening up, offering me a lopsided grin.

"Okay. I can wait a little longer," he said, stretching his arms up over his head. "Hey, remember that time that Aine accidentally turned his hair bright green?"

I laughed, part relieved we were no longer on the topic of hard questions and part amused that he remembered that, too.

"How could I forget?" I said, slinging an arm around his shoulders. "I can picture his face now: 'How was I supposed to know bleach would work differently on blue hair!?' His hairstylist just about had an aneurysm when he had to get it fixed!" I cracked up, Reiji joining in.

We must have sat there for almost an hour, trading stories of our experiences with Aine and reminiscing about the guy he used to be. It was so easy talking to Reiji of the past, of when things were so happy. It was almost enough to make me forget the way things were now. Of course, all good things must come to an end, and soon I had to excuse myself so that I could focus on my music once more. I felt refreshed and reinvigorated to work on my songs now that I had had a good break, my mood lifted. Taking a deep breath, I stared at the few songs I had spread out in front of me. I had an idea of what I wanted to do now with the theme for my album, and I had four songs picked out already. It just needed...one more.

I was back on track.

"Just a little longer, Ai-nii," I breathed, grabbing the first composition and a fresh sheet of paper for lyrics. "I'll write music that will wake you up for good. Just you wait."

* * *

Ai frowned, finding himself unable to focus on his computer game. Glancing over at the synthesizer next to his desk, his gaze lingered on it for a moment as he wondered how Shinako was doing with her compositions. He had barely seen her at all for the rest of the week since Shining had given her his impossible task. He shook his head at the thought. No, if anyone could pull off such a fantastic feat, it would definitely be Shinako, he thought. Nevertheless, he was worried about her. He knew that she was the type of person who would push herself to the point of collapse if no one reminded her to take the time to rest. Mentally weighing the pros and cons, he sighed before standing and heading for the door. He would just continue to dwell on the idea that she wasn't taking proper care of herself until he verified whether she was or not for himself. The thought made him pause, his hand on the doorknob. Was he...worried?

No. That would be impossible, his logical mind said. He was an A.I., he couldn't feel emotions.

But then what had he felt when he was singing with Shinako on stage last week...?

Ai frowned, deciding to contemplate all these things later. He had to make sure Shinako was taking breaks and eating right. Absent-mindedly, he stopped by the kitchens and grabbed her a plate of beef stir-fry, one of her favorite dishes. He could already picture how her eyes would light up upon seeing the food. He chuckled at the thought. If there was one thing Shinako loved almost as much as music, it was food. The professor often joked she could have become a professional taste-tester if she weren't so dead-set on becoming a composer.

As Ai neared the female dorms, he could hear voices drifting out of the music room that Shinako usually used. Curious, he quietly moved closer to the open door. The sight that greeted him made him feel...odd.

Shinako sat at the piano, Ai's bandmate, Reiji, beside her. The thing that caused him to feel an odd sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, though, was the fact that she had her arm around Reiji's shoulders as they laughed together at something he had missed. His teeth grit together, and the hand that wasn't clutching the plate of food clenched into a fist. It was as though he was seeing red.

Wait. Was this...anger?

His surprise at the fact that he was actually feeling something almost made him drop the plate he was holding. He froze as he assessed himself. His systems were fully functional, but...there was something else, now. Something that he hadn't noticed there before. Was this what humans felt? Was this what the professor had wanted him to experience when he created him? It...it _hurt._ That couldn't be right. And, he realized, it got worse when his gaze drifted back to the sight of Shinako and Reiji, sitting so close together as they talked and laughed.

"What...is this feeling?" he whispered, clutching at his chest. He grit his teeth together, deciding there were only two ways to find out anything.

With one last glance at the couple at the piano, Ai turned on his heel and left, taking the plate of food with him. He wasn't sure he wanted Shinako to know that he was there when he couldn't even work up the courage to say hello to her after seeing her together with Reiji like that.

Ai gave a long-suffering sigh. He could always leave finding a solid conclusion for how seeing them like that had affected him until he ran further tests by himself, but it would be so much quicker if he just went to the professor. He mentally weighed the pros and cons of the two as he deposited the untouched food in the trash. As he conjured up an image of Shinako and Reiji together in his mind's eye, he was once again overwhelmed by how much it hurt. He frowned. He wasn't certain he could stand feeling that for as long as it would take to run sufficient tests on the cause of the feeling.

He supposed it would be a trip to see the professor after all, then...


End file.
